LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

©XljUfi'Iglji 

Shelf 



I UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



•J 



r 



SERMONS: 




nashville, tenn. : 
Southern Methodist Publishing House. 
1885. 




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year IS80, by 

MRS. H. C. HARPER, 
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



LC Control Number 




tmp96 031461 



DEDICATION. 



TO THE 

MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE, 

THIS VOLUME OF SERMONS IS 

Respectfully Dedicated, 

In behalf of the Author, who lived and died in the work of the 
Itinerant Ministry* 



EDITOR'S NOTE. 

This volume is a memorial of one who labored faithfully and suc- 
cessfully in the vineyard of the Lord. A native of England, re- 
moved to Canada in early life, and transferred to South Carolina in 
his twenty-first year, he readily adapted himself to his surroundings, 
and became a true pastor of the flock, entering into their sorrows 
and sharing their prosperity. 

These sermons are evidently the productions of a studious man, 
one who never presumed to bring unbeaten oil into the sanctuary. 
His themes are eminently practical, and he deals with them in a 
spirit of earnestness and of intense desire for the salvation of his 
hearers. The thoughtful reader will find much to interest him in 
these pages, and the student of the Bible will find his faith and 
knowledge of sacred things confirmed and enlarged, ' This preacher 
was a workman that rightly divided the word of God, giving to each 
his portion in due season. W. P. Harbison, 

Book Editor, 

Nashville, August) 1885; 



CONTENTS. 



SERMON I. PAGE 
The Resurrection of Christ 9 

SERMON II. 

The Apostle's Dilemma. 22 

SERMON III. 

The Valley of Baca; or, The Resources of Christians in Ad- 
versity 37 

SERMON IV. 

The Choice of Moses 48 

SERMON V. 

The Tree of Life 62 

SERMON VI. 

The Woman of Canaan. ... 70 

SERMON VII. 

The Great White Throne 82 

SERMON VIII. 
The River of Grace 95 

SERMON IX. 

The Call of Matthew 106 

SERMON X. 

The Parable of the Unjust Steward 118 

SERMON XL 

The Way to Zion 135 

SERMON XII. 

The Fading Leaf. , 145 

SERMON XIII. 
The Rich Fool 156 



Content*. 



SERMON XIV. PAGE 
Tabor 168 

SERMON XV. 

The Loss of the Soul . . 182 

SERMON XVI. 

The Christian Ministry 104 

SERMON XVII. 
The Cities of Refuge 207 

SERMON XVIII. 
The Incomparable Teacher 217 

SERMON XIX. 

The Storm on the Lake 229 

SERMON XX. 

Gray Hairs 242 

SERMON XXL 

The Church as the Lamb's Wife 254 

SERMON XXII. 
The Stone and Its Destiny 266 

SERMON XXIII. 
Our Lord's Condescension to Sinners 279 

SERMON XXIV. 
The Teachings of the Great Mountains 293 

SERMON XXV. 
Evanescent Goodness 301 



SERMONS BY R. L. HARPER. 



SERMON I. 



The Resurrection of Christ. 



"Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matt, xxviii. 6.) 
1TJCH was the invitation which an angel extended to 



k3 the women who first sought our Lord's sepulcher on 
the morning of his resurrection. The Sabbath over, they 
had left as soon as possible for the place of his interment, 
intending to anoint his body and complete the hasty obse- 
quies of the preceding Friday. Sad, no doubt, were their 
reflections as, silent and unattended, they passed through 
the streets of the still slumbering metropolis. They thought 
of that dear Form that had so lately passed over those same 
streets on his way to the shame and anguish of the cross. 
They thought of him as he paused to administer consolation 
to themselves and others when, in the fullness of their grief, 
they "bewailed and lamented him." They thought of him 
in his last agony, enduring not only the pangs of a cruel 
death, but the mockery of the multitude, and, far worse 
than all, the hiding of his Father's face. "It was yet 
dark," and there was neither sight nor sound to disturb the 
deep reverie into which they had fallen. Without the wall, 
their gait quickened, and but a few steps brought them to 
the garden, where they had sat and watched the eve fol- 
lowing the burial. Entering quietly and reverently, they 
stole along its winding pathway, wondering if they would 




2 



10 



Sermons by B. L. Harper. 



be able to remove the stone from the mouth of the sepulcher. 
They had proceeded but a short distance when they were 
startled by "a great earthquake.'' Recovering from their 
trepidation, they pressed forward once more, and soon found 
themselves in the vicinity of the sepulcher. To their sur- 
prise and embarrassment, it was surrounded by Roman sol- 
diers. A single glance, however, apprised them that some- 
thing unusual was transpiring. In the dim light of the 
breaking dawn the faces of the guard looked weird and 
ghastly, and they trembled as though smitten by some 
dread palsy. A nearer approach disclosed the cause of 
their alarm. The stone had been rolled away, and on it 
there sat an angel, "his countenance like lightning, and 
his raiment white as snow." Overcome with terror, the 
women, like the guard, stood mute and motionless, their 
gaze . riveted on the mysterious apparition. For them, how- 
ever, there was a swift relief. With a smile that told of 
the deepest rapture and shed the divinest peace, and in 
tones instinct with tenderest love, the angel said unto 
them : "Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, which 
was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. 
Come, see the place where the Lord lay." 

Such was the consolation offered, such the invitation ex- 
tended by a member of the celestial community on that 
memorable occasion. And, my brethren, that invita- 
tion has not lost its meaning, nor that consolation its pow- 
er, though more than eighteen centuries have fled since 
it fell from those seraph lips. To-day, what is it but the 
belief that "Christ died, yea, rather is risen again," that 
sustains us under our multiplied afflictions? and among the 
many invitations that are ever sounding in our ears, we 
know of none more sweet, none more welcome, than that of 
our text: "Come, see the place where the Lord lay/' Let 
ns turn aside, then, and view the sepulcher of our risen 



The Resurrection of Christ. 



11 



Lord. We may not be able to journey thither personally, 
and even if we could we should find that the hand of time 
had been before us and obliterated every mark by which 
we might identify the sacred locality. Still, in imagina- 
tion, we can gather around it, and for the confirmation of 
our faith and the rekindling of our hope consider the evi- 
dence and the glorious results of the resurrection of our 
Lord. Consider, 

I. The Reality of His Resurrection. 

The importance of this consideration will appear from a 
single quotation from St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians: 
"If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and 
your faith is also vain. Then they also which are fallen 
asleep in Christ are perished." What, then, are the evi- 
dences afforded us of the reality of this important and won- 
derful event? 

We stand in thought surveying the sepulcher of our 
Lord. We enter and gaze around us, but discover no trace 
of its former occupant save the linen which enshrouded 
him and the napkin which had been bound about his gashed 
and gory brow. The Master is missing; and to our mute 
and sorrowful appeal the answer is given, " He is risen, as 
he said." 

Now, the reality of our Lord's resurrection must necessa- 
rily involve the reality of his death. And just here doubt 
would obtrude the question, Did our Lord actually die? 
Was he undoubtedly deceased when deposited in the grave? 
Happily, there is sufficient evidence to substantiate this im- 
portant circumstance. As though anticipating such mis- 
giving, the four evangelists have carefully recorded the 
death of our Lord. St. Matthew informs us that "he cried 
with a loud voice, and yielded up the ghost." St. Mark 
affirms that " he cried with a loud voice, and gave up the 
ghost." St. Luke relates that " when Jesus had cried with 



12 



Sermons by E. L. Harjier. 



a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend 
my spirit. And having said thus, he gave up the ghost." 
And St. John states that " he bowed his head, and gave up 
the ghost." In their several narratives they inform us, 
moreover, that the crucifixion was public; that vast multi- 
tudes were present to witness the awful tragedy, among 
whom were many who from evil motives were deeply inter- 
ested in the death of our Lord ; that the soldiers to whom 
his execution had been committed "brake not his legs," as 
they did those of the two thieves, in order to hasten the 
pangs of dissolution; that one of the band, however, to 
prevent any subsequent suspicion attaching to his death, 
" with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there 
out blood and water;" and that Pilate, when solicited to 
deliver the body for interment, delayed doing so until he 
had been assured by the officer on duty that our Lord was 
actually dead. 

Therefore, according to the concurrent testimony of the 
four evangelists, our Lord was pronounced dead by the 
civil authorities when delivered to Joseph for entombment. 
Admitting the fact of his death, another question, however, 
instantly occurs: May not the body have been surrepti- 
tiously removed during the interval between his burial and 
professed resurrection? Happily, the evangelists are able 
to demonstrate the exact opposite of this. We learn that 
the enemies of our Lord, in their anxiety to prevent any 
semblance of a resurrection, adopted a precaution which 
precluded the possibility of any tampering with his sepul- 
cher. Immediately after his burial, they remembered that 
he had more than once predicted his resurrection. They 
had themselves heard him explicitly affirm, " Destroy this 
temple, and in three days I will raise it up." And quite 
likely the traitor apostle, in one of his interviews, had in- 
formed them of a similar saying he had recently uttered 



The Resurrection of Christ. 



13 



in the presence of his disciples. To defeat any imposition 
that might be intended, they requested Pilate to use his 
proconsular authority to protect the sepulcher " until the 
third day." Their request was complied with. Sixty armed 
men were placed at their disposal. And with these they 
went and secured the sepulcher, for additional security 
sealing it with the imperial seal — that seal to break which 
illegally was to incur the penalty of death. The whole 
case was thus retained in their own hands. And yet, not- 
withstanding all their care, on the morning of the third 
day the body was discovered to be missing. Accepting as 
trustworthy the statement of the evangelists, we must see 
that it was absolutely impossible for the body to have been 
removed by human agency. Indeed, the guard, to account 
for the disappearance of our Lord, circulated the story that 
" his disciples came by night and stole him away, while they 
slept." But such palpable inconsistency and falsehood ap- 
pear upon the face of this story that the evangelists con- 
tent themselves by simply recording it, without any effort 
to refute it. Weigh the facts, my brethren. The guard 
consisted of at least sixty men, inured to warfare, and 
armed with javelin and spear. The disciples were few in 
number, civilians, and thoroughly disheartened by the 
death of their beloved Master. The season was one in 
which the moon shone brightly during the greater portion 
of the night, thus rendering it impossible for any one to 
approach the sepulcher unobserved. That the soldiers 
slept is preposterous. It was death to Roman sentinels to 
be found asleep on duty. More plausible is the assertion 
g of the evangelists, that they were bribed by the rulers to 
propagate a falsehood. Indeed, no bribe would have been 
sufficient to induce them to acknowledge such delinquency 
had not their safety been previously assured. We learn 
that such assurance had been given them. Their story, 



14 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



however, contains its own refutation. The soldiers were 
either awake or asleep ; if awake, where was their courage 
to permit a few unarmed and timid peasants to remove 
the body ? and if asleep, how came they to know that the 
disciples had removed it ? The absurd story seems to have 
been abandoned as hastily as it was fabricated. When 
subsequently Peter and John, and shortly after the whole 
college of apostles, were brought before the Jewish sanhe- 
drim, and censured for the doctrine they proclaimed, the 
soldiers' report was never once alluded to, nor was a soli- 
tary witness produced to disprove their assertion. 

Our Lord's miraculous disappearance froni the place of 
his entombment must therefore be conceded. Still, to con- 
firm our faith, we may put the question, Was he seen alive 
after his resurrection ? Happily, the evangelists can satisfy 
this inquiry also. We can merely enumerate the various 
manifestations they record. Mary Magdalene was the first 
to whom he showed himself. A few moments later he ap- 
peared to Salome and the other Mary as they were hasten- 
ing to Jerusalem to communicate what they had seen and 
heard. Soon after, he appeared to Simon — no doubt assur- 
ing the recreant but now penitent apostle of his forgiveness. 
The afternoon of the same day he accompanied two of his 
disciples to Emmaus, where u he was known of th£m in 
breaking of bread." That night he appeared to ten of the 
apostles in an upper chamber at Jerusalem. A week later 
he was seen of them again, and with them on this occasion 
was the doubting Thomas. Again he appeared to seven of 
them by the margin of Tiberias. Then " he was seen of 
above five hundred brethren at once," on a hill-side in Gal- 
ilee. "After that he was seen of James; then of all the 
apostles." Finally, having met them at Jerusalem, and 
authorized the publication of his gospel throughout the 
bounds of the habitable globe, "he led them out as far as 



The Resurrection of Christ. 



15 



to Bethany; and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 
And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted 
from them, and carried up into heaven." 

Surety, my brethren, if the joint testimony of the evan- 
gelists may be received, these appearances are sufficient to 
dispel any doubt that may linger in our minds as to the 
verity of our Lord's resurrection. But here a question in- 
tervenes, What proof have we of the veracity of these 
writers? how know we that their narratives are not " cun- 
ningly devised fables?" And here, blessed be God, we are 
not left to grope in the mazes of uncertainty. In support 
of the truthfulness of the evangelists, we call attention to 
the wonderful consistency and intrinsic excellence of their 
writings. They relate the story of our Lord in a manner 
so variant as to make it clear that they wrote independ- 
ently of each other, and yet so agreeing in the leading 
facts, and so easily capable of reconcilement in those mi- 
nute circumstances in which some discrepancy at first 
sight appears, that their testimony in all its parts carries 
with it the air of honesty and truth. Then, what purity 
distinguishes their writings, and those also of their fellow- 
witnesses! Take the Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles, and 
is there aught therein that panders to vice? aught that 
tends to sully the beauty or to lower the authority of virtue ? 
Would not earth be a very Eden were the morality of the 
New Testament universally practiced? For impure, dis- 
honest men to compose such % book would be as great a 
miracle as any it records. Consider what sufferings were 
endured by those who published the resurrection. What 
was there to tempt them to forge and propagate a false- 
hood? Was social ostracism, was poverty, was imprison- 
ment, was scourging, was death — and that in its most fear- 
ful and ignominious form — so desirable that they could 
cheerfully court it in behalf of what they knew to be a lie? 



16 



Sermon* by R. L. Harper. 



Consider the remarkable results which accompanied and 
followed the deliverance of their testimony. We speak 
not of miracles — how the lame walked, the dumb sung, and 
the dead lived. Oracles were silenced, idols abolished, 
temples razed, philosophies superseded, laws changed, a 
new era introduced, and a new religion enthroned in the 
affections of the world. In further proof of the fidelity of 
the sacred writers, we have the existence of Christianity at 
the present hour. What opposition has it not encountered ? 
what combinations has it not overcome? The Jew hated 
it, and the Roman derided it; but it has outlived the mag- 
nificent temple of the one and hung its bright banner over 
the proud capitol of the other. Popery cast it to the flames, 
and deemed it dissolved in ashes ; and lo, to-day, the dead 
phenix lives! Islam waved his dread scimiter, and thought 
to give its life-blood to the breeze; but while the Moham- 
medan crescent is steadily declining, Christianity, like the 
sun, maintains her course w T ith ever-increasing brilliancy 
and power. No weapon that has been formed against her 
has prospered. Again and again have her ramparts been 
assailed, but in vain. Founded upon the Rock of ages — 
the rock of a risen Redeemer — the gates of hell have not 
prevailed against her. 

Then, as we stand by the sepulcher of our Lord, pon- 
dering the "many infallible proofs'' before us, we feel 
certified that "he is not here, but risen, as he said." Yes, 
"the God of peace brought again from the dead our 
Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep." Angels 
have escorted him to the skies. The everlasting gates have 
swung open at his touch. The empyrean has rung with 
halleluiahs in his praise. The Father has welcomed him to 
his side, invested him with all authority, given him a name 
that is above every name, and a kingdom that cannot be 
des1 royed. ( Jonsider, 



The Resurrection of Christ. 17 



II. The Results of His Resurrection. 

These are many, and infinitely important. However, we 
can only dwell on the most conspicuous. 

If Christ is risen, we must perceive that his claims to 
Messiahship are thereby authenticated. For ages the hu- 
man race had been led to anticipate a Deliverer who should 
remedy the evils which oppressed it, and restore it to the 
lost image and felicity of God. Prophets had portrayed 
the person of this Deliverer, announced his advent, sketched 
the successive steps of his career, and filled the future with 
the forth-puttings of his power. A number of types, too, 
had been given, each breathing some utterance respecting 
his character and mission, and constituting a part of the 
complex criteria by which he might hereafter be identified. 
It is obvious that in his case there was to be an intermin- 
gling of sunshine and shadow. The path to glory would 
conduct him through the valley of humiliation and dis- 
tress. He was to be despised and rejected of men ; forsaken 
of God and afflicted; subjected to a most violent and igno- 
minious death. Still, he was not to see corruption '; he was 
to burst the barriers of the tomb; to divide the spoil with 
the strong ; and to see of the travail of his soul, and be sat- 
isfied. Now, Jesus Christ fulfilled each of these predictions. 
As the crowning circumstance, however, it was to his res- 
urrection that he appealed as furnishing decisive evidence 
of his claims to be the Messiah of the world. To the Phar- 
isees he had said : "An evil and adulterous generation seek- 
eth after a sign ; and there shall no sign be given to it, but 
the sign of the prophet Jonas; for as Jonas was three days 
and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of 
man be three days and three nights in the heart of the 
earth." If his pretensions were unfounded, if he were only, 
as had been intimated, a deceiver of the people, God would 
certainly refuse to sanction such imposture by the fulfill- 
2* 



18 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



ment of so remarkable a prediction. As we have seen, the 
prediction was fulfilled ; and he, my brethren, whom we 
acknowledge in our worship, was thus avouched to be the 
Hope of Israel and the Desire of all nations. 

If Christ is risen, we must perceive, moreover, that the 
sufficiency of his atonement is thereby established. Sin, 
entering our world, entailed on man the maledictions of 
Heaven's violated law. The fearful alternative arose of- 
securing a substitute who would expiate the penalty, or else 
enduring a hell whose every pang would be embittered by 
a thousand recollections and the fuel of whose flame would 
be exhaustless and eternal. A surety was found. In the 
counsels of the Godhead, the Son as Messiah engaged to 
assume this relation and to suffer in our stead. Of his 
priestly office and propitiatory projects' early intimations 
were given. At first faint as the twilight that precedes the 
dawn, they gather brightness as the years roll on, until at 
last every cloud is lifted, and "the Sim of righteousness 
arises with healing in his wings." The Messiah should be 
"cut off, but not for himself." He should "make reconcil- 
iation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness." 
He should be "wounded for our transgressions and bruised 
for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace be upon 
him, and we with his stripes be healed." Publicly and 
privately, by implication and by positive assertion, our 
Lord proclaimed himself the priest of prophecy. " The Sou 
of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." 
" I am the Good Shepherd ; the good shepherd giveth his 
life for the sheep." Intentionally, "he suffered, the just 
for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." He "died 
for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto 
themselves, but unto him which died for them ami rose 
again." His resurrection, therefore, in attesting his Mes- 
siahship, moreover attests the validity of his sacerdotal 



The Resurrection of Christ. 



19 



service. It is at once the proof and the pledge of the suffi- 
ciency of his sacrifice — the efficacy of his intercession. It 
is a visible expression and embodiment of the Divine ac- 
ceptance and approval thereof. It assures us that the way 
of life has been opened, that the streams of salvation now 
flow in their fullness, that " whosoever will may come and 
take of the water of life freely." Thank God for the res- 
urrection of Jesus Christ. Thank God that he has " gone 
up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." 
Vain would have been his gospel without the accompany- 
ing seal of his resurrection. "If Christ be not raised, your 
faith is vain ; ye are yet in your sins." His resurrection is 
the anchor which alone gives security to his treasure- 
freighted promise of eternal life. Thank God that we have 
it — "an anchor sure and steadfast, entering into that with- 
in the veil." Yes, "the Forerunner is for us entered." 
"The Lord is risen indeed." Vainly the king of terrors 
waved his scepter over the Captain of our salvation, and in 
vain did the grave boast of its mighty captive. As though 
he had been only reposing in soft slumber, he suddenly 
opened his eyes and stood up ; and immediately the seal 
and the great stone gave w T ay, and our Saviour came forth, 
masterful and victorious, to proclaim " redemption through 
his blood, according to the riches of his grace." 

If Christ is risen, we must perceive that our future res- 
urrection is thereby secured. Jesus Christ, in his redemp- 
tive capacity, superseded Adam as the federal head and 
representative of mankind. That Adam acted not exclu- 
sively for himself, but for the race, is the uniform and un- 
equivocal testimony of Scripture. " By the offense of one 
judgment came upon all men to condemnation." "As by 
one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so 
death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." In 
his legal relation to posterity, Adam is expressly denomi- 



20 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



nated "the figure of him that was to come." Christ came, 
then, a "Second Adam." He too is a public person; he 
too is a covenant head. Alike in the relation they sus- 
tain, they widely differ, however, in the consummation they 
achieve. "As by one man's disobedience many were made 
sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made 
righteous." "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall 
all be made alive." It is in the latter particular that we 
are now more immediately interested. The death of Adam 
was the death of human nature; the resurrection of Christ 
is the resurrection of the same. In a deeper sense than 
that of being its sublime author is Christ "the resurrection 
and the life." His resurrection is virtually the resurrec- 
tion of the race. He is now so indissolubly united to us 
by identity of nature that our resurrection as inevitably 
follows as the putting forth of leaves the swelling of the 
sap, and the gushing forth of waters the opening 6f the im- 
prisoned fountain. "Marvel not at this; for the hour is 
coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear 
his voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, 
unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil, 
unto the resurrection of damnation." "The resurrection 
of life!" Precious assurance to Christian believers ! A 
balm for bereavement — an invigorating cordial for coming 
death. The ancient Greek, sitting solitary in his home at 
Athens, bereaved of his children, might well ask the ques- 
tion, "Shall I ever meet again the children of my love?" 
or, standing beside the grave, might well ask, " O grave, 
tell me thy secret;" or, "O death, answer me, What hast 
thou done with the sons and daughters of my house, who 
gladdened my heart in the twilight hours? I see the flow- 
ers and birds returning with the spring, but no returning 
years bring back the treasures of my heart. Tell me thy 
secret, death.' 1 But vain the question; the moaning of the 



The Resurrection of Christ. 



21 



cypress and the yew alone broke upon his strained and ea- 
ger ear; a pall of impenetrable darkness hung over the 
horizon of his hopes, and naught arose beyond but the 
mournful prospect of absolute and unending nothingness. 
Christ alone brings comfort to the troubled soul; Christ 
alone flings sunlight on the darkness of the tomb. Philos- 
ophy may indeed, in halcyon hours, predict a resurrection ; 
Christ alone can prove it. Philosophy may be bold enough 
to guess it; Christ alone can guarantee it. "Now is Christ 
risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them 
that slept." 

We bid adieu for the present to the sepulcher of our 
Lord. May our visit inspire us with adoring wonder, grat- 
itude, and love! Dear to us should be the spot where once 
reposed our risen Redeemer. Often should we journey 
there in thought ; often should we stand and meditate on 
the marvels it unfolds. It is fragrant with the memory of 
a love that passeth knowledge; it is steeped in the light of 
a day that shall know no end. It is the birthplace of faith 
and hope. It is the fountain of enduring peace. It is the 
earnest of the fulfillment of the promise made unto the 
fathers : " O death, I will be thy plagues ; O grave, I will 
be thy destruction." - 

" Come, see the place where the Lord lay." 



SERMON II. 



The Apostle's Dilemma. 



"I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be 
with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh 
is more needful for you." (Phil. i. 23, 24.) 

HT. PAUL is here in a dilemma. It would seem that 



kJ/ the option had been given him of speedy dissolution or 
of prolonged life. He hesitates which to accept. The scales 
are about even when he begins to write the words of our text ; 
but while penning them a sudden preponderance is felt on 
the side of this life. And in the next verse, escaping part- 
ly from his embarrassment, he is able at least to express the 
conviction that, notwithstanding his present perplexity, his 
ultimate decision will be "to abide in the flesh." 

Now, we think this temporary suspense and final deter- 
mination of the apostle at this juncture of his life one of 
the noblest exhibitions of self-sacrificing love. And we 
think you will agree with us in this view of it when we shall 
have considered at length what impelled him on the one 
hand to desire immediate dissolution, and then what con- 
strained him on the other hand to relinquish this desire. 
Consider, 

/. What impelled him on the one hand to desire immediate 
dissolution. 

It was not a spirit of misanthropy. Save one — and he 
our blessed Lord and Saviour — none ever loved humanity 
with a deeper, broader, purer love than St. Paul. Nor was 
it any morbid disgust with life as the scene of baffled hopes 
and wounded sensibilities and imperfect knowledge. The 
apostle looked on life as we may look on some winter land- 
scape, and see in somber fields and leafless forests the count- 




The Apostle's Dilemma. 



23 



less germs of future loveliness. "Our light affliction, which, 
is but for a moment/' he exclaimed in writing to the Corin- 
thians, " worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
weight of glory." Nor was he laboring under any despond- 
ency such as overcame Elijah when beneath the juniper, 
and led him to sigh: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take 
away my life.^ The apostle was ever buoyant in the midst 
of tribulation — his spirit like some w r hite bird which far 
out at sea swims fearlessly upon the crested waves. What, 
then, impelled him to desire immediate dissolution? It was 
something eminently worthy the apostle. It was that he 
might be with Christ. " I am in a strait betwixt two/' he 
says, "having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; 
which is far better." 

Let us endeavor to estimate the strength of this impulsion. 

1. To be with Christ was to be with the person whom he 
loved above all others. 

In the affections of his people, Jesus is supreme. Not to 
love him above all else is to forfeit our claim to be num- 
bered with his followers. His own words are: "He that 
loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me ; 
and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not 
worthy of me." 

If ever there was a man in w T hose heart Jesus Christ was 
supreme, that man was St. Paul. The strength of love is 
to be measured by what it endures in behalf of its object. 
Contemplate the life of the apostle; set before you his toils 
and sufferings; and remembering that it was the love of 
Christ wdiich constrained him to undergo with patience and 
cheerfulness his manifold afflictions, you must perceive that 
his attachment was of no ordinary character. Love craves 
communion with its object. The deeper the love the greater 
will be the desire for the society of the loved one. Separa- 
tion may be necessary, but where love is strong and true it 



24 



Sermons by E. L. Harper. 



is only rendered endurable by the prospect of reunion. And 
the longer the separation and the nearer the time for re- 
union, the more will the heart swell with delight, and the 
more will it long to overleap the dividing space. Look at 
those children, now peering through the window, then rush- 
ing to the door-way, straining their gaze to catch the first 
glimpse of the loved father who has been for years in the 
war, and is now said- to be almost home. Look at that wife 
who has voyaged thousands of miles across the deep to re- 
join her husband from whom she has been sundered for 
years, and see how her frame trembles and her eyes glisten 
as she is told that by to-morrow morning the vessel will have 
cast anchor in the desired haven. These illustrations may 
help us to enter into the feelings of St. Paul when he had 
the choice of immediate departure to the presence of Christ. 
Loving Christ as he did with all the ardor of his affection- 
ate spirit, longing to be with him as he would with an ever- 
increasing intensity of desire, how strongly impelled would 
he be to choose death rather than life when he knew that 
by so doing every obstructing barrier would speedily be re- 
moved, and he be privileged with near and open vision to 
"see the King in his beauty!" 

2. To be with Christ was not only to be with the person 
whom he loved above all others, but to be in the place 
which he preferred above all others. 

Christ is in heaven. He is enthroned in pomp and pow- 
er at the right-hand of the Father. It was there he was 
beheld by Stephen at the close of his memorable address 
before the Jewish sanhedrim. "He, being full of the Holy 
Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glo- 
ry of God, and Jesus standing on the right-hand of God, 
and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of 
man standing on the right-hand of God." 

While God is everywhere, it seems that there is one place 



The Apostle's Dilemma. 



25 



in particular where he manifests his presence with peculiar 
glory, and where he lavishes his richest blessings. It is of 
this place that the psalmist speaks when he says: "In thy 
presence is fullness of joy; at thy right-hand there are 
pleasures for evermore." Where it is situated it is in vain 
to conjecture. St. Paul, speaking of Christ, says, u He is 
made higher than the heavens;" and again, in contrasting 
his humiliation and exaltation, he says, "He that descend- 
ed is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens." 
Suns, systems, constellations, galaxies, appear to have been 
left behind in that upward flight to "the high and holy 
place." From the figurative descriptions given of it by the 
inspired writers, we feel sure that it must be a place of sur- 
passing magnificence and beauty. Fair is our own globe 
at times when basking in the splendor of morning, or 
decked in the mild loveliness of evening. It has spots 
where we would fain linger, entranced with the blending 
charms of mountains and lakes, woods and meadows, rocks 
and streams. But doubtless the most resplendent scenery 
of earth but dimly portrays the countless physical attrac- 
tions of the celestial world — the country, the metropolis of 
the Great King. Of the enjoyments of heaven, in their va- 
riety and sweetness, we have only a very imperfect concep- 
tion. Negations enter largely into our knowledge of its 
blessedness. We know T that there will be no sin there. We 
know that the foot of the tempter will never defile that 
sanctuary; that no unholy thought or impure feeling will 
ever vex or disturb its inhabitants. We know that there 
will be no sorrow there ; that tears will never stain the faces 
of the glorified; that no groan of pain or sigh of sadness 
will ever mar the glad harmonies of the place. We know 
that there will be no death in heaven ; a grave will never 
be seen in that "land of the living." We will no more be 
burdened with bodily infirmities ; we will never have occa- 



26 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



sion to complain of mental weakness. But the happiness 
of heaven will not be simply negative. There will be com- 
municated a vast and ever-increasing amount of positive 
good. Of course, the superlative pleasure will be the vis- 
ion of Christ. " The smile of the Lord is the feast of the 
soul." But added to this there will be other pleasures. 
There will be the companionship of angels and just men 
made perfect. How delightful to be associated with the 
purest and most exalted intelligences in the universe! 
Then, there are honors to be worn, offices to be filled, em- 
ployments to be engaged in. The saints are to wear crowns ; 
they are to be kings and priests unto God; and they are to 
serve him day and night in his temple. While much con- 
nected with heavenly enjoyments remains unrevealed, we 
feel confident that every capacity of the soul for bliss will 
be satisfied, that no want or desire will be overlooked, that 
the felicity experienced will be perfect and uninterrupted, 
and as exhaustless as eternity. 

As the scene of perpetual and unalloyed happiness, as 
well as the home of the risen Redeemer, heaven is antici- 
pated by Christians with the most ardent and tender desire. 
It is their portion by inheritance as "heirs of God and 
joint-heirs with Christ." They "know that if the earthly 
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, they have a build- 
ing of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the 
heavens." And "in this they groan, earnestly desiring to 
be clothed upon with their house which is from heaven." 

If ever there was one who might naturally desire heaven 
with a more intense longing than another, that person was 
St. Paul. For he had not only heard of heaven as we have, 
but he had actually seen it. In his Second Epistle to the 
Corinthians he informs us that on one occasion — whether in 
the body or out of it he could not tell, he was "caught up 
into paradise [the third heaven], and heard unspeakable 



The Apostle's Dilemma. 



27 



words, which it is not lawful for. a man to utter." O the 
ineffable picture that must ever thereafter have been pres- 
ent to the mind of the apostle! We sit down sometimes 
and weep for joy over the description of heaven given us 
by St. John ; and yet we know that he saw only types, dim 
shadows of realities. And if, while pondering the splendid 
imagery of the seer of Patmos, we are often led to exclaim, 
" O that I had wings like a dove ! for then would I fly away 
and be at rest/' can we not conceive how inexpressible at 
times would this desire be in the case of him who had been 
permitted, without a veil, to survey the glory and to behold 
the blessedness of heaven? With the option before him of 
speedy dissolution or of continued life, how strong would be 
the impulse to choose death rather than life, when he knew 
that by so doing he would quickly pass to that celestial 
country upon whose joys he had already gazed with unut- 
terable rapture! 

My brethren, you are now perhaps better prepared to es- 
timate the strength of that impulsion which led the apostle 
to desire immediate dissolution. When you remember that 
he was a prisoner at Rome, that he was advanced in years, 
that he was feeble from incessant labors and manifold af- 
flictions, that earth gave no prospect of relief from toil or 
even of suspense from suffering, and when you bear in mind 
that to him death was "to depart, and to be with Christ" — 
to be with the person whom he loved above all others, and 
to be in the place which he preferred above all others — I 
think that you must perceive that* the wish to die must have 
been almost overwhelming. 

It appears, however, that even when his desire for imme- 
diate dissolution most absorbed him, there was always some- 
thing which placed him " in a strait betwixt two." And 
this will lead us to consider, 

IL What constrained him } on the other hand, to relinquish 
his desire. 



28 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



It was not a doubt as to its propriety ; for, as we have 
already intimated, it would seem that he had received a 
divine communication giving him the option of a speedy 
departure or of a prolonged stay. It is true the apostle 
does not expressly assert this, but with that delicacy pecul- 
iar to himself he employs language which leads us to infer 
it: "What I shall choose I wot not." Nor was his dilem- 
ma due to any lingering fondness for this world, such as we 
may imagine Moses to have felt when, standing on the top 
of Pisgah, he beheld the rushing Jordan, the verdant plain 
of Sharon, the palm-groves of Gennesaret, and the distant 
summits of snow-crowned Lebanon. In sincerity and in 
truth he could aver: " Yea, doubtless, and I count all things 
but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus 
my Lord." Nor was he withheld from choosing death by 
any apprehension of a want of meetness for heaven and its 
beatific joys. Without presumption and in all humility he 
could say : " I am now ready to be offered ; I have fought a 
good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the 
faith." What, then, constrained him? If we examine the 
text we find that it was simply the work of the ministry. 
" I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and 
to be with Christ ; which is far better : nevertheless to abide 
in the flesh is more needful for you." 

It will materially heighten our conception of the apostle's 
character if we consider the apparent weakness of this con- 
straint. 

1. Observe, then, the work of the ministry involved the 
most fearful responsibility. 

What is every true minister but "the messenger of the 
Lord of hosts?" What is he but an embassador from the 
court of heaven, charged with a message of overture and 
warning to the sons of men? The covenant of the Lord is 
with him — the covenant of "life and peace;" and it is his 



The Apostle's Dilemma. 



29 



duty to proclaim its terms and to urge its acceptance on all 
who may come within the reach of his instrumentality. As 
in the sight of God, and in view of coming judgment, he is 
to "preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; 
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doc- 
trine." Awful will be his punishment if found unfaithful. 
"Son of man," are the w 7 ords of God to Ezekiel, "I have 
set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel ; therefore thou 
shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 
When I say unto the wicked, wicked man, thou shalt 
surely die ; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from 
his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his 
blood will I require at thine hand." Is it to be wondered 
at that men in all ages have shrunk from this office? Can 
we marvel that of those who have undertaken it some have 
felt oppressed almost beyond measure by a sense of their 
responsibility? It is said of Bernard, of France, that once 
after preaching in the schools of philosophy at Paris, he 
spent a whole night in anguish and sobs, fearing that God 
had forsaken him, because none were converted. It is said 
of John Welsh that he would pray seven or eight hours a 
day, and when his wife, in her solicitude for his health, 
would remonstrate with him, he would say: "O woman, I 
have three thousand souls to answer for ! and I know not 
how it is with many of them." But fearful as is the respon- 
sibility of the ordinary minister, how r much more so was 
that of St. Paul! Responsibility is in proportion to our 
gifts and the extent of our sphere of labor. How numer- 
ous were his gifts, how vast was his sphere of labor! Ele- 
vated by Christ to the apostleship, and anointed with a spe- 
cial baptism of the Holy Ghost, he had been intrusted with 
the most important enterprise of the early Church. Start- 
ing from Antioch, and proceeding through Asia Minor to 
Europe, he was to plant the Christian religion among the 



30 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



numerous and heterogeneous inhabitants of the western 
section of the Roman Empire. To this end he was to be 
unceasingly aggressive; he was to boldly confront every 
form of evil which presented itself to his observation; he 
was to launch his invectives against idolatry and supersti- 
tion, and vice of every description and degree. He was to 
endeavor to " cast down imaginations and every high thing 
that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God;" and al- 
lowing nothing to deter him, he was to press on, in spite of 
the violence of the populace, the hatred of priests, the gibes 
of philosophers, and the edicts of imperial courts. How 
stupendous an undertaking! To step out, as it were, and 
rush well-nigh single-handed on the bristling bayonets of a 
well-marshaled and mighty army. But then, at the same 
time, he was to act on the defensive. Every stronghold 
that he subdued was to be fortified and kept; every church 
that he founded was to receive his vigilant superintendence 
and care — its members were to be fed with wholesome doc- 
trine, guarded against the wiles of false teachers, and built 
up in their most holy faith. And this oversight was to be 
bestowed, notwithstanding the ingratitude of some, the prej- 
udice of others, and the determined opposition of not a few. 
Again we exclaim, How stupendous an undertaking! Yes; 
aud none felt it more deeply than the apostle. Often when 
engaged in it the cry would go up from his trembling spirit, 
" Who is sufficient for these things?" Often he found that 
it was only by exercising the severest self-discipline that he 
could meet the demands of his high vocation; for in one 
place lie says : " I therefore so run, not as uncertainly ; so 
fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under 
my body, and bring it into subjection : lest that by any 
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be 
a castaway." Now then, when, after having discharged the 
various functions of his office most nobly and faithfully for 



The Apostle 7 s Dilemma. 



31 



years, he is imprisoned at Rome, and the opportunity is 
presented of being relieved of his responsibility without dis- 
honor or disgrace; now that the curtain of eternity is part- 
ly withdrawn, and ministering spirits whisper that he is at 
liberty to depart, and to be with Christ ; now that the gor- 
geous vision of heaven sweeps by him, and he can catch, as 
it were, a glimpse of its rolling waters, its emerald bowers, 
its gold-paved streets, and its shining throngs ; now that he 
can see the King himself preparing to coronate him, and 
can anticipate the outbursts of harmony and praise which 
will greet his arrival before the eternal throne — O at such 
a time it seems that of all things the work of the ministry 
would be the most powerless to constrain him "to abide in 
the flesh." 

2. To show still further the apparent weakness of this 
constraint, you will observe that the work of the ministry 
involved the most severe sufferings. 

At the present day, save in a few rare instances, the 
sufferings entailed by this work are comparatively light. 
Through the overruling providence of God we enjoy a sea- 
son of unparalleled security and peace. The hoarse voice 
of persecution has ceased; the mouth of the ravenous lion 
has been stopped ; Scotland's streams are no longer red with 
the blood of saints; Smithfield no more resounds with the 
shouts of the multitude as they rush with their robed vic- 
tims to the waiting pile; St. Bartholomew's Day is never 
more ushered in with the strange signal-bell ; the Walden- 
ses are no longer chased, like their own chamois, from hill 
to hill ; devoted men are no longer incarcerated in dismal 
and pestilential dungeons because they judge it right to 
obey God rather than man. The world has at last awoke 
from its folly, and discovered, in a measure, the value of a 
faithful ministry to its enlightenment and progress. Now 
the labors of the pulpit and the pastorate are unobstructed, 



32 



Sermons by JR. L. Harper. 



The gospel receives the patronage of princes and the rever- 
ence of the poor; it is defended by learning and recom- 
mended by eloquence ; thousands are engaged in publishing 
it in every clime, and millions are praying for its speedy 
dissemination over all the earth. It was different, however, 
when the fisherman of Galilee and the tent-maker of Tarsus 
went forth to proclaim the gospel. Our lips quiver and 
our eyes moisten as we think of their dreadful sufferings. 
But of all the apostles and early evangelists not one was 
called to suffer so much as St. Paul. We never read the 
few verses in which he speaks of his sufferings but we feel 
our spirit throb in deepest sympathy, and we blush to think 
that we have ever murmured and repined : " Of the Jews 
five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I 
beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered ship- 
wreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep ; in jour- 
neyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in 
perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in 
perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the 
sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and pain- 
fulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings 
often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are 
without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all 
the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who 
is offended, and I burn not?" Now that we find him in 
prison at Rome, with the tender of heaven before him ; now 
that the opportunity is given him of honorably leaving the 
work in which he has been so long engaged, and in which 
so much suffering is to be borne; now that angelic legions 
encircle him, and wait to escort him to the paradise of God ; 
now that white-robed multitudes are looking down from the 
jasper walls, and tutiing their harps in anticipation of his 
speedy arrival; now that the vision of Jesus is so soon to 
burst upon him and his soul to be suffused with its peerless 



The Apostles Dilemma. 



33 



splendor — O again we say at such a time it seems that of 
all things the work of the ministry would be the most pow- 
erless to constrain him "to abide in the flesh." 

Yet — and " hear, O heavens ; and give ear, O earth " — this 
work, with all its fearful responsibility and appalling suffer- 
ing; this work, which was fast withering the vitality and 
strength of his mortal frame; this work, the prosecution of 
which was attended at every step with afflictions, necessities, 
distresses, stripes, imprisonments, and tumults; this work so 
powerfully constrained him that when heaven was thus 
spread out before him in all its matchless magnificence, and 
invitation wafted to him that he was at liberty to "depart, 
and to be with Christ/' he was at first placed "in a strait 
betwixt two," and finally induced to decide for the present 
"to abide in the flesh." 

Glorious man ! we cannot restrain our admiration of his 
lofty character. What a marvel was he of unselfishness, 
magnanimity, and patience ! What zeal must he have felt 
for the salvation of the world ! To whom shall we liken 
him? Point me not to human heroes. The most splendid 
mausoleum is not embellished with the deeds, nor does it 
glitter with the name, of one who is his equal. We can only 
liken him to Jesus, who, "though he was rich, yet for our 
sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might 
be rich." Occasions are the tests of character. It was ev- 
idently far harder for the apostle to consent to live than to 
die. It required the greater self-denial, and in relinquish- 
ing his desire for immediate dissolution, and in contenting 
himself to remain on earth that he might continue his be- 
nevolent labors regardless of peril and pain, he presents, 
beyond doubt, one of the noblest exhibitions of the morally 
sublime. 

O thou undeserving world, when wilt thou learn to ap- 
preciate thy greatest sons? when wilt thou cease to embla- 



34 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



zon thine Alexanders and Martels and Napoleons, and in 
their place substitute the Pauls and Peters and Polycarps 
who have shed such a halo of real glory around thee? 
But know this: if thou wilt not do them justice, there is 
One who will. Amid the awful solemnities of the last day, 
when the great white throne shall appear, and the trump 
of the archangel shall sound; when the heavens shall 
shrivel like a parchment and pass away with a great noise ; 
when the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon 
become red like blood ; when the globe shall be wrapt in 
flames, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ; when 
cities and towns, palaces and temples, shall all be dissolved, 
and when saints shall be singing their psean of joy and the 
wicked shall utter their dirge of despair; then, in a voice 
which shall swell above the universal din, shall Christ 
confess his self-denying followers, saying: "Well done, 
thou good and faithful servants; enter thou into the joy of 
thy Lord." 

Dear brethren, a word to you in conclusion. We would 
have you not only admire, but emulate, the self-sacrifice of 
the apostle. You too are called to labor and to suffer here. 
If your trials are not so severe as his, yet perchance they 
often cause you to weary of your lot and to desire to depart 
and to be with Christ, At such times think of Paul, and 
be patient. Your present lot deserves not indeed to be put 
in competition with that heavenly felicity to which God has 
elevated your hopes; but such as it is, it is the gift of God 
— it is the sphere to which his providence has assigned you, 
and until dismissed from it you should neither slight the 
duties which it imposes nor shrink from the sufferings which 
it entails. An absolute and unquestioning submission to 
the will of God is the crowning excellence of Christian 
character. "The trying of your faith/' says St. James, 
" worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, 



The Apostle's Dilemma. 



35 



that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." As 
Christians, whatever our station, whatever our circumstan- 
ces, it ill becomes us to desire death simply to be rid of re- 
sponsibility and to be delivered from what is painful or dis- 
tasteful. We should believe that so long as God continues 
us here we can subserve some useful purpose, and we should 
be so intent on accomplishing his purpose as to be ready to 
endure whatever may be incident to our situation. We 
never read of the apostle as being "in a strait betwixt two," 
until the choice was given him of immediate dissolution or 
of prolonged usefulness. Remember that such a choice has 
never been given you. Do not, then, give way to a spirit 
of fretfulness because God may see fit to protract your stay 
amid circumstances which are, perhaps, unusually afflictive. 
Look away from self, and mark how many souls are perish- 
ing for lack of knowledge, and thank God for the oppor- 
tunity of devoting yourself awhile longer to their enlight- 
enment and recovery. Look around you and see your 
brethren in the Church and ministry faiut with "the burden 
and heat of the day," and thank God that you have the 
opportunity of still aiding them in their arduous toil ; look 
above you and see the immense "cloud of witnesses" who 
survey you, and who, while anxious that you should soon 
swell their shining ranks, would yet have you win a few 
more stars to your "crown of rejoicing," and thank God for 
the opportunity of winning them. Look higher still, and 
fix your eye on the throne of Jesus, and remember that he 
has said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of 
the world;" and thank God for his presence, and press on. 
O never allow your trials to cause you to murmur or to 
grow lukewarm in the service of Christ. Be patient, be 
zealous; weary not in well-doing. If the day of life lingers, 
rejoice and put the more labor into it; if the summer-time 
of probation tarries, be glad, and secure from it a more 



36 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



abundant harvest. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall 
he also reap." 

Finish thy work — the time is short, 

The sun is in the west, 
The night is coming down ; till then 

Think not of rest. 

Yes, finish all thy work, then rest ; 

Till then, rest never; 
The rest prepared for thee by God 

Is rest forever. 

Finish thy work, then go in peace; 

Life's battle fought and won, 
Hear from the throne the Master's voice: 
"Well done! well done!" 



SERMON III. 

The Valley of Baca; or, The Resources of Chris- 
tians in Adversity. 

"Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the 
rain also filleth the pools." (Ps. lxxxiv. 6.) 

THREE times a year it was customary for the Israel- 
ites to repair to Jerusalem to celebrate, with suitable 
services, the goodness and mercy of Jehovah. To those 
who lived at the extremities of Palestine, or who had emi- 
grated to regions beyond, the journey must have been long 
and toilsome. A portion of the route by which some had 
to reach the city lay through a sandy desert. No fountain 
with fringe of palms relieved this dreary waste; no stream 
meandered through it, delighting the eye with its crystal 
flow, and charming the ear with its gentle melody. To 
pilgrims this place was known as the " Valley of Baca." 
The word " Baca " is derived from a verb which signifies to 
weep. And doubtless this name was applied to it on ac- 
count of the tears which sprinkled it as travelers toiled 
through its scorching sands. Relief, however, was to be 
found in this valley by those who crossed it on their way to 
participate in the worship at Jerusalem. While ordinarily 
it was dry, yielding no water to refresh the exhausted 
frame, the Israelites had now only to dig wells, to prepare 
pits, and rain from heaven would supply their need. Thus 
they could "go from strength to strength, and every one of 
them in Zion appear before God." 

As the special dwelling-place of God, Jerusalem was a 
type of heaven. And we cannot think of "the tribes go- 
ing up to the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the 



38 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



name of the Lord," without being reminded of our own 
pilgrimage as Christians to the " city which hath founda- 
tions, whose builder and maker is God." As in the case 
of the Israelites, some begin their journey almost within 
sight of the city's spires; on the steps of infancy they 
glide through its jeweled gates. Others seize their staff 
and commence their march among distant hills; with sil- 
ver locks and bent and trembling form, they draw near 
the celestial city. Our route, too, has its "Valley of 
Baca." It has, indeed, its meadows gay with roses of 
Sharon, and its mountain-tops from which we catch far- 
off glimpses of the city of peace; but it has also its 
"desert place" — a place where trackless sands, and sul- 
try winds, and burning sun unite to oppress the spirit. 
"Through much tribulation we enter into the kingdom of 
God." Pilgrims are often found weeping on their way to 
Zion. Prostrate beneath some friendly juniper, they are 
heard like Elijah moaning: "It is enough; now, O Lord, 
take away my life." But not thus should we traverse this 
dismal vale. It is our privilege to "rejoice in tribulation." 
Those who pass this spot on other errands than ours may 
well weep and lament. The desert of affliction yields no 
joy to the sinful and impenitent. But there is comfort for 
believers amid the severest trials. They have only to open 
wells, and the rain will fill them; they have only to ap- 
ply their thoughts and energies as directed by the Divine 
Word, and heavenly consolation will reward their labor. 
" They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength ; 
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, 
and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint," 

Fellow-pilgrims, are any of you in the "Valley of 
Baca?" Are you toiling wearily through its sands? Is 
the print of tears upon your faces? Has joy almost fled 
from your hearts? .Suffer the word of exhortation. I 



The Valley of Baca. 



39 



would tell you of wells that you may dig — facts you may 
ponder, a course of conduct you may pursue — with the 
certainty of obtaining from them "grace to help in time 
of need." 

1. The first w 7 ell I would have you open — or, to drop 
the figure, the first fact I would have you consider — is the 
brief duration of your afflictions. 

Suppose your pilgrimage to extend over a period of 
three-score years and ten ; suppose most of the way to lie 
through the Valley of Baca ; suppose that only at long in- 
tervals are your eyes gladdened w r ith the sight of running 
brooklets and of flowery meads; still, how short is your 
journey, how soon is it ended, and how quickly, if faith- 
ful, are you at rest! Brother, sister, you are immortal. 
Unending ages are before you. This life is but a speck, a 
tiny cloud in the midst of an expanse of illimitable blue. 
"The time is short," says St. Paul; and the deduction he 
draws from the fact is, "It remaineth that they that weep 
be as though they wept not." His own sufferings he sub- 
limely styles "our light affliction." It was light in his esti- 
mation because momentary. " Our light affliction, which is 
but for a moment." Come, brethren, open this well — the 
rain will descend and fill it ; set before you the speedy ter- 
mination of your troubles — it will refresh your hearts and 
dissipate your gloom. You may have been bereaved. Dear 
ones who walked with you Zionward have been removed by 
sudden accident or cruel disease. Earth has become to you 
a wilderness without a fragrant flow T er or a flowing fount. 
But why sit and weep ? A little while, and you wall clasp 
hands with the departed in the paradise of God. You may 
have been reduced from affluence to poverty. Once your 
path led over mountains of myrrh, and through orchards 
of olives, and by the margin of singing streams ; now it is 
through a barrenness, with no green strip of earthly de- 



40 



Sermons by B. L. Harper. 



light to beguile the way. But why mourn ? You are 
hastening to the New Jerusalem. You will soon see " the 
King in his beauty." " In his presence is fullness of joy ; 
at his right-hand there are pleasures for evermore." You 
may be the victim of persecution. The tongue of slander 
has wounded you as with coals of juniper. You say: "Woe 
is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents 
of Kedar ! My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth 
peace." But why repine? "He is near that justifieth ;" 
and behind yon cloud is the mount of God. 

2. The second well I would have you dig — the second 
fact I would have you consider — is the divine origin of 
your afflictions. 

Who made the Valley of Baca ? He whose hand reared 
Lebanon with its cedars, and Carmel with its excellency. 
He knew when he meted out its length how often it would 
be traversed by the Israelites in their journey to Jerusalem. 
He knew the fatigue it would occasion, and the tears it 
would evoke. That sorrow is a part of Christian experi- 
ence, that the path to the heavenly Jerusalem conducts us 
not only through green pastures and beside still waters, but 
along beetling precipices and over glistening sands, is 
equally the result of Divine Providence. It is true that 
some griefs spring solely from our own folly ; but even in 
their case the pain consequent upon misdoing is to be re- 
garded as a chastisement from above. We sow the seed, 
but God puts the bitterness into the stalk and leaf. The 
greater number of our afflictions as Christians, however, 
arise from the direct appointment or permission of God. 
We were prudent in our investments, yet riches took wings 
and flew away ; we were temperate in our diet, yet health 
declined and we were prostrated upon a bed of pain ; we 
were upright in our walk, yet our character was traduced 
and our motives misconstrued ; we were exemplary in our 



The Valley of Baca. 



41 



homes, yet our children were disobedient and averse to the 
way of righteousness. Such trials are not to be regarded 
by us as accidental, but as ordered or permitted by Divine 
Providence. And is it not soothing, is it not comforting 
to recognize in our afflictions the hand of our God? We 
have #nly to contemplate his perfections, and we pass at 
once from the gloom of midnight into the radiance of the 
morning. Is he not infinitely wise ? The evidence of his 
skill is in every leaf and in every flower ; it sounds in every 
sea, and sparkles in every star. Is he not infinitely good? 
Could he have given a sublimer expression of love than 
that which we see on Calvary? Surely, he is "too wise to 
err, and too good to be unkind." When surprise was man- 
ifested at the patience of an Arabian woman under heavy 
affliction, she said, " When I look on God's face I do not 
feel his stroke." O brethren, toiling through Baca's vale, 
come, open the well — the rain will quickly fill it ; come, 
consider the divine origin of your afflictions — it will put 
nerve into your hearts, and strength and fleetness into your 
steps. What gave such buoyancy to the spirit of Job in 
the midst of his disasters ? It was a quaff from the well 
of which I speak. The Sabeans and Chaldeans had de- 
stroyed his property, the hurricane had buried his children 
beneath the house of their festivity ; but not to these did he 
ascribe his losses — he saw in them but the subordinate agents 
of a higher will, and he exclaimed : " The Lord gave, and 
the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the 
Lord!" It was this same well which so often refreshed 
David in the midst of his calamities. We find him taking 
comfort from the thought : " When my spirit was over- 
whelmed within me, then thou knewest my path." And we 
hear him saying: "I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, 
because thou didst it." 

3. The third well I would have you dig—the third fact 
3 



42 



Sermons by B. L. Harper. 



I would have you consider — is the manifold uses of afflic- 
tion. 

Did the Valley of Baca serve no useful purpose ? Did 
it not test the loyalty of the Israelites to Jehovah? Would 
any one toil through its sands unless he reverenced the au- 
thority which commanded the nation to make these pil- 
grimages to Jerusalem? Love to God and zeal for his 
service were presupposed in making these annual journeys. 
And hence says the psalmist : " Blessed is the man whose 
strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways." 
"The ways" were trodden because loved, as conducting 
the pilgrim to the house of God. The Valley of Baca 
was of further use in developing the energy and pa- 
tience of the Israelites. In addition to this, it served to 
illustrate the all-sufficiency of God. How strengthening 
must it have been to the faith of the Israelites to see the 
rain descend and fill the pits which they had dug in expec- 
tation of divine succor! The Valley of Baca also pre- 
pared them to appreciate more fully the pleasures awaiting 
them at Jerusalem. The fatigue which they had undergone 
put new notes of gladness into their song as they praised 
the God of Jacob in his holy temple. Brethren, is there 
no analogy between the uses of this valley and the advan- 
tages to be derived from our own afflictions ? Do not trials 
test the strength and sincerity of our love to God? The 
weeds whose roots barely cling to the soil are scorched and 
withered by the fierce beams of the summer sun, while the 
goodly tree, whose roots penetrate far below the surface, is 
stirred and quickened into more vigorous and fruitful life. 
How quickly is moist vapor dispersed by the rising wind ; 
how little recks the mountain the fury of the storm. The 
miner who has found a lump of gold is better satisfied after 
he has submitted it to the proper tests. But to know that 
we are regenerate, of which our trials help to make us 



The Valley of Baca. 



43 



aware, is more important than to know that we possess 
millions of gold. Affliction also serves to develop and 
beautify character. Some plants do not bloom until after 
they have undergone a winter. It is often thus w r ith our- 
selves. Not until we have been subjected to the snows of 
adversity and -the withering blasts of multiplied afflictions 
do we unfold the beauties of the Christian character. " Trib- 
ulation/' says the apostle, "worketh patience;" and the 
estimate which is put upon patience in Scripture we may 
learn from the words : " Let patience have her perfect work, 
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Af- 
fliction shows us how God can sustain us under the most 
unfavorable circumstances. They thus magnify his grace, 
and give grounds for the exercise of a stronger faith. Af- 
fliction, by contrast, will also enhance the joys of heaven. 
The longer the tempest, the sweeter the calm ; the harder 
the toil, the more welcome the rest. O brethren, why so 
sorrowful in Baca's vale? Open this well — the water will 
replenish it; consider the uses of your affliction — you will 
renew your strength and go on your way rejoicing. 

4. The fourth well I would have you open is prayer. 

"Is any among you afflicted?" asks St. James; and his 
answer is, "Let him pray." As a source of comfort in 
trouble, prayer is recommended in Scripture not only by 
precept, but also by example. See Jacob, in the gloom of 
night, standing alone by the brook of Jabbok. He is 
alarmed at the prospect of meeting Esau. He remembers 
his brother's threats. He seeks relief in prayer. He wres- 
tles (physically as well as spiritually) for a blessing. The 
morning dawns ; but not more radiant is the sunshine, not 
more serene are the heavens, than that triumphant man. 
Hear David recalling with thankfulness the efficacy of 
prayer in his afflictions. " In the day when I cried thou 
answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my 



44 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



soul." See the Saviour praying in Gethsemane, and mark 
the flight of the angel as he descends to strengthen him. 
Hear Paul pleading for the removal of his " thorn in the 
flesh," and see him rising at last, not with the thorn ex- 
tracted, but with such a sufficiency of grace that he can 
glory in his infirmity. The tree has only to strike its root 
into the earth, and in some mysterious manner nourish- 
ment will be furnished it ; and the soul in trouble has only 
to reach into the unseen and take firm hold of God, and in 
some hidden way sustenance will be afforded. O the power 
of prayer! It gives patience under provocation, resigna- 
tion in the midst of disappointment, courage in the face of 
opposition, and hope in the agonies of death. Brethren, 
open this well — engage in this exercise; there is no path in 
life so gloomy that it will not cheer; there is no desert so 
desolate that it will not gladden with an oasis. 

5. Another well I would have you open is your past ex- 
perience. 

I suppose that most of the Israelites who journeyed 
through the Valley of Baca had been there before; and 
the remembrance of the help they had experienced on 
former occasions would inspire them with confidence on re- 
entering this barren waste. And my afflicted brethren, 
have you no precious memories of God's kindness in the 
past to support you under present trial? O remember the 
years of the right-hand of the most High ! Do you not rec- 
ollect when young and inexperienced you were obliged to 
go forth and earn a livelihood for yourself, and how, when 
you almost despaired, openings occurred, and friends were 
found by whose aid you were enabled to attain to ease and 
competency? Do you not recollect when the unerring 
archer laid low your first-born, and you saw the child you 
so tenderly loved carried from your door to the sepulcher — 
do you not recollect the strange sweet calm which flowed 



The Valley of Baca. 



45 



into your heart, enabling you to say : " It is the Lord ; let 
him do what seemeth to him good ? " Do you not recollect 
when your business was shattered, and it seemed as though, 
from one cause and another, you would be deprived of all 
you possessed, how surprised you were at the equanimity 
with which you could survey the prospect? In these and 
similar instances you but proved the truth of the words: 
"I will never leave thee, I will never forsake thee;" "As 
thy days, so shall thy strength be." Why, then, so disqui- 
eted now? "Hope thou in God." Take comfort from 
past deliverances. This was one of David's remedies for 
despondency. " O my God," he says, " my soul is cast 
down within me; therefore will I remember thee from the 
land of Jordan and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mi- 
zar." It is related of a pious minister that one day, being 
in great despondency, he sent for a brother minister to 
come and help him out of his distress. The minister was 
unable just then to comply with the request, but charged 
the messenger to convey these words to his master, "Re- 
member Torwood ! " The messenger, of course, was igno- 
rant of the application, but his master understood it well; 
for at Torwood he had received special manifestations of 
Divine grace. The words were no sooner pronounced than 
his darkness vanished, and he exclaimed : u Yes, Lord ; I 
will remember thee from the hill Mizar and from the Her- 
monites." Brethren, in passing through the Valley of 
Baca, neglect not to open this well ; call up the past mer- 
cies of God; it will prevent despair, and give you confi- 
dence to pursue your way. 

6. The last well I would have you open is the bliss of 
heaven. 

Aside from the " rain which filled the pools," and from 
which the Israelites drank in the desert vale, how refresh- 
, ing must have been the thought that each toilsome step was 



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Sermons by B. L. Harper. 



diminishing the distance which lay between them and their 
destination ! To them " beautiful for situation, the joy of 
the whole earth, was Mount Zion." There was the temple 
with its shekinah, its ark, its golden candlestick, its altar 
of burnt-offering, its robed priests, and solemn services. 
There were "the thrones of the house of David." There 
too, on festival occasions, were the thousands of Israel. As 
the pilgrims marched through the burning waste, we can 
imagine them cheering each other with the words, " Our 
feet shall stand within thy gates, Jerusalem ! " Brethren, 
have we no nearing joys to support us in our griefs ? Are 
we not hastening to the New Jerusalem? Is not each day, 
each moment, bringing us nearer the city of the living God ? 
What raptures await us there ! Are the sufferings of this 
present time worthy to be compared with the glory which 
shall be revealed? " Glorious things are spoken of thee, 
city of God ! " Thy structure is of all precious stones. Thy 
luminary is the Lamb. Thine inhabitants are all " kings 
and priests unto God." They know no care; they heave no 
sigh. Their peace is like the waveless calm of that sea of 
glass in which are mirrored the mansions of eternity. This 
city is indestructible. The engines of war never shake its 
strong foundations; the stroke of the lightning never 
blackens its lofty spires; the earthquake never cleaves 
its magnificent golden streets ; winter never strips its trees 
of their foliage ; summer heats never dry its living streams ; 
ruined walls and roofless homes never sadden the specta- 
tor's eye. Pilgrim brethren, are you foot-sore and weary in 
the midst of life's valley ? Here is a well that you may 
dig. the refreshing draught it will yield you ! The eye 
will brighten, the limbs become strong and supple, and you 
will grasp your staff with fresh determination, as you an- 
ticipate the things which God has prepared for those who 
love him. 



9 



The Valley of Baca. 



47 



Let us, in conclusion, look back a moment and remind 
ourselves of the wells we may open in the Valley of Baca. 
Let us charge our minds with the resources at our command 
in the season of affliction. There is the brief duration of 
our afflictions, there is the divine origin of our afflictions, 
there are the manifold uses of affliction, there is prayer, 
there is our past experience, and there is the bliss of heaven. 
Brethren, these wells have been opened again by the innu- 
merable pilgrims who, in every generation, have journeyed 
to the heavenly Jerusalem. They have never been opened 
in vain. There were times when the Valley of Baca was 
far more scorching than now — when those who trod it had 
"trial of cruel mockings and scourgings — yea, moreover, 
of bonds and imprisonment." It has been sprinkled with 
blood-drops as well as with tear-drops. Still these wells 
had only to be opened, and reviving grace instantly filled 
them. Let us, then, not weary in well-doing. Let us be 
followers of those who through faith and patience inherit 
the promises. Now they hunger no more, neither thirst any 
more, neither doth the. sun light on them, nor any heat. 
The Lamb who is in the, midst of the throne feeds them, 
and leads them unto living fountains of water, and God 
has wiped away all tears from their eyes. 



SERMON IV. 



The Choice of Moses. 



" By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called 
the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction 
with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a sea- 
son; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treas- 
ures in Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of the re- 
ward." (Heb. xi. 24-26.) 



T. PAUL celebrates in this chapter the achievements of 



faith. Conspicuous among the illustrious worthies whose 
faith he records — a star of the first magnitude in a firmament 
of splendor — is the name of Moses. There is a peculiar 
charm about the life of the great lawgiver. It is one of those 
rare, checkered, eventful, pathetic, and wondrous experi- 
ences which delight the fancy and call into exercise every 
susceptibility and power of the soul. The babe afloat on 
the waters of the Nile ; the boy growing up amid the pride 
and pomp of Pharaoh's court ; the man of mature years a 
wanderer in the wildernes%; the returned exile confronting 
Pharaoh, and demanding the release of his enslaved breth- 
ren; the leader of the people guiding them through the 
Red Sea and across the trackless desert; these and other 
points in his history are invested with absorbing and imper- 
ishable interest. And then, how grand his exit from time: 



By Nebo's lonely mountain, 

On this side Jordan's wave, 
In a vale in the land of Moab 

There lies a lonely grave ; 
And no man dug the sepulcher, 

And no man saw it e'er, 
For the angels of God upturned the sod, 

And laid the dead man there. 




The Choice of Moses. 



49 



And had he not. high honor? 

The hill-side for his pall, 
To lie in state while angels wait, 

With stars for tapers tall ; 
And the dark rock-pines like tossing plumes, 

Over his bier to wave, 
And God's own hand in that lonely land, 

To lay him in the grave. 

It is to the faith of Moses that we would invite special 
attention and particularly that exhibition of it which 
marked the momentous period indicated by the expres- 
sion, "when he was come to years." 

From Stephen, in his defense before the Jewish sanhe- 
drim, we learn that Moses w r as "full forty years old' 7 when 
he made the choice recorded in the text. It is said in Ex- 
odus that it was "in those days when Moses was grown." 
In the early ages of the world mankind developed more 
slowly than at present. I suppose Moses at forty was what 
a young man now is at twenty-one. Maturity was not 
reached as quickly then; but as a compensation life was 
proportionably longer. " Moses was a hundred and twenty 
years old when he died;" and even at that advanced age 
"his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated." 

"When he was come to years" denotes the period when 
his education was complete, when the rule of his adoptive 
parent was at an end ; and when, in the exercise of his own 
free thought, he was at liberty to choose his career in life. 
I always sympathize with a young man at this particular 
juncture. Whatever earthly calling he may select — wheth- 
er he decides to devote his energies to the mart, the forum, 
to agriculture, to politics, or to some one of the different 
handicrafts, it is of the utmost importance that he should 
resolve to be a servant of God. Such a resolution, earnest- 
ly and solemnly taken at this crisis will, in all probability, 
be permanent, will preserve him from many an evil, render 
3* 



50 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



his life truly useful aud happy, and procure for him at last 
eternal glory. The postponement of such a determination, 
or the opposite positively taken, will, in all likelihood, launch 
the soul upon a voyage of misery from which contrary 
minds shall forbid return, and which will end in the howl- 
ing tempest and midnight wreck amid the breakers of 
despair. 

The choice of Moses at this decisive period is worthy of 
universal imitation, and we would consider it to-day with 
the view of commending it to all, but especially to young 
men. 

We regard his choice as an act of faith, and as such we 
would have you ponder first the greatness, and secondly 
the reasonableness, of his faith. 

I. The Greatness of his Faith. 

This will appear when we consider what he renounced, 
and then what he embraced. 

1. He renounced honor. "Refused to be called the son 
of Pharaoh's daughter." 

I need not rehearse the story of his adoption. You are 
all familiar with his exposure in an ark of bulrushes, and 
his discovery by the despot's daughter, who, moved with 
pity, rescued him from danger, and brought him up as her 
own son. In repudiating his adoption he resigned the dig- 
nity and prospects it conferred. It was no light thing, hu- 
manly speaking, to be recognized as the adopted son of the 
Egyptian princess. Josephus informs us that Pharaoh had 
no son, and that consequently the foundling Moses, had he 
retained his position and conformed to the customs of the 
Egyptian court, would have succeeded to the throne. 
Faith, then, led him to renounce the prospect of a regal 
scepter, the sovereignty of one of the mightiest empires of 
antiquity. You ask, Is high honor incompatible with piety? 
Not necessarily. Where will you find a purer character 



The Choice of Moses. 



51 



than Joseph? And yet, in Egypt he was second only to 
the king. Where will yon find a man more scrupulously 
holy than Daniel ? And yet, he was exalted to the rank 
of third among the potentates of Babylon. Obadiah w T as 
"governor of the house of Ahab." Mordecai saw no rea- 
son for refusing the honors of the Persian monarch. Salu- 
tations were sent by the apostle to " the saints which were of 
Caesar's household." In these instances earthly dignities 
were accepted, honorable stations maintained, without sin. 
As a rule, however, lofty positions in life cannot be sought 
or held without injury to conscience and disloyalty to God. 
It was thus in the case of Moses. The King of Egypt 
"knew not Joseph" — had no sympathy with the history, 
and no regard for the worship, of the Israelites. It was 
impossible to enjoy his favor without compromising char- 
acter and incurring the Divine displeasure; and hence Mo- 
ses repudiated his adoption — " refused to be called the son 
of Pharaoh's daughter," though by so doing he forfeited a 
throne. 

Young men, when tempted to enter a path — however 
dazzling — which you cannot follow without defilement of 
your soul ; when offered a place — however proud — the main- 
tenance of which will call down on you the wrath of God, 
think of Moses, and refuse. 

2. He renounced not only honor, but wealth. " The treas- 
ures in Egypt." 

This expression seems to sustain the tradition of the 
Jewish historian, that Moses was heir to the Egyptian 
throne. Egypt was, at that time, an absolute monarchy, 
and the lives and property of its citizens were, to a large 
extent, in the royal keeping. It is scarcely possible to im- 
agine the vast opulence to which the kingdom had attained 
at this early period. The lofty pyramids which pierce the 
skies, the ruins which lie scattered along the banks of the 



52 



/Sermons by It. L. Harper. 



Nile; fragments of colossal statues, obelisks, palaces, and 
temples; these, and other relics of ancient magnificence, re- 
main to attest the exceeding splendor and prosperity of those 
times. Moses renounced the prospect of all this wealth. 

The thirst for riches is one of the most common and dom- 
inant desires of the human heart. You have seen a piece of 
iron drawn to a magnet — what that magnet is to iron, money, 
or its equivalent, is to thousands. To gratify their greed, 
to meet the insatiate demands of their covetousness, what 
have men not done? They have crossed oceans and trav- 
ersed continents, dared the perils of the wilderness and the 
dangers of the deep ;^they have bartered truth and honesty, 
sundered friendships, violated covenants, trampled upon 
the tenderest ties, and committed the blackest crimes that 
stain the chronicles of time. From this we can estimate 
how great the self-denial which could turn away from the 
imposing wealth of Egypt, content to renounce it all rather 
than swerve from the path of duty. You ask, Are riches 
incompatible with true religion? We answer, Not of ne- 
cessity. They may be both amassed and held without sul- 
lying in the least our Christian character. Job was one of 
the wealthiest men in the East, and yet he was " a perfect 
man, one that feared God and eschewed evil." Their pur- 
suit, however, is dangerous, and often fatal. "They that 
will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many 
foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction 
and perdition." Their possession tends to foster an undue 
affection for them, and trust in them, generating parsimony 
and self-sufficiency. Hence the exclamation of the Saviour, 
"How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the 
kingdom of God!" In the case of Moses, he could not en- 
joy "the treasures in Egypt," and at the same time main- 
tain inviolate his religious character. And hence he re- 
nounced them, willingly and without a sigh. 



The Choice of Moses. 



53 



In his renunciation of earthly riches, Moses is a model 
for our times. The passion for wealth was never more in- 
tense than at present. Every kind of iniquity is being per- 
petrated to gratify its lust — sycophancy, base artifice, fraud, 
arson, murder. Covetousness is the sin of our nation. 

Young men, if solicited to enter some avenue to wealth 
at the expense of your religious principle; if engaged in 
some business which you can render more remunerative by 
being less honest, think of Moses, and choose rather to be 
poor. 

3. Moses renounced not only honor and wealth, but pleas- 
ure. "The pleasures of sin." 

We include under this the enjoyment which springs from 
the abuse of our bodily senses. The wealth and power to 
which Moses would have succeeded had he acquiesced in 
his adoption would have placed at his command every sen- 
sual indulgence. We know something from history, not to 
speak of our own observation, of the seductive influence of 
unlawful pleasures. For their sake homes have been deso- 
lated and kingdoms overthrown ; for their sake the mighty 
man has lowered himself to a level with the brute, and 
ended a once high career amid the hissings of contempt. 
To believers they have been the frequent occasion of 
apostasy: Solomon — that sun in Israel's firmament — was 
plunged by them into " outer darkness." In the parable of 
the sower, prominent among the thorns which choked the 
good seed were "the love of pleasure and the lust of other 
things." Think, then, how strong must have been that 
self-control which could survey unmoved "the pleasures of 
sin" to be enjoyed in Egypt — pleasures greater than those 
for which Mark Antony sacrificed his all, and which, with 
all their attendant ills, constituted a cup which few would 
have dashed untasted to the ground. You ask, Are all 
pleasures sinful? We answer, No. Pleasures which do 



54 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



not transcend the bounds of chastity and temperance ; pleas- 
ures in keeping with our dignity as immortal beings, and 
which, by assisting health and recuperating our spirits, 
qualify us for the better performance of our duties, are not 
sinful, but innocent. The pleasures offered to Moses were 
of another kind — ''the pleasures of sin." They were "the 
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life " 
— gratifications forbidden by the law of God ; and hence, 
enticing as they were, he rejected them. And in rejecting 
them he evinced the greatness of his faith. 

Young men, you may be often tempted to indulge in sin- 
ful pleasures. Think of Moses, and forego them. You may 
be tempted to the theater — its scenic display will no doubt 
charm you ; but pollution will flow into your soul through the 
medium of eye and ear. Think of Moses, and refuse. You 
may be tempted to the ball-room — its mazy whirl and vo- 
luptuous music will no doubt enchant you ; but low, base 
thoughts will be engendered, the fruit of which may be a 
shameful sin. Think of Moses, and refuse. You may be 
tempted to the saloon — the intoxicating bowl has, no doubt, 
its cheer; but a wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, 
and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Think of 
Moses, and refuse. You may be tempted to still darker 
scenes — but, "the house" of that woman "is the way to 
hell, going down to the chambers of death." Think of 
Moses, and refuse. 

We have considered what Moses renounced — now consid- 
er what he embraced. 

1 . Fellowship with a despised 2^eop)le — " the people of God." 

The Israelites were at that time the only nation among 
whom was observed the worship of the true God; and they 
were a nation of slaves. "Their lives were made bitter 
with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all 
manner of service in the field." All that they could offer 



The Choice of Moses. 



55 



Moses was a share in the Divine covenant — the promise 
made to Abraham and to his seed after him, the promise of 
Canaan for a possession, and of heaven for an inheritance, 
and also of a Messiah who, springing from themselves, 
should attain to the sovereignty of the world, and be to 
its inhabitants the source of ineffable and endless peace. 
These expectations, indeed — especially that of a Messiah — 
only rendered them more obnoxious to their Egyptian mas- 
ters, to whom such hopes appeared presumptuous and delu- 
sive. And yet, with only these hopes to encourage him, 
Moses identified himself with the enslaved and despised 
Israelites ; by that act renouncing all the honor, wealth, 
and pleasure which he had in prospect as the son of Pha- 
raoh's daughter, "esteeming the reproach of Christ greater 
riches than the treasures of Egypt." 

Young men, never hesitate to unite with God's people 
because they may be poor or despised. Be satisfied of the 
soundness of their doctrine and the purity of their lives, and 
then, however mean may be their temporal condition, or 
however much they may be scorned for their faith in Christ, 
cast in your lot with them. Do not stand aloof because the 
rich and the gay and the fashionable are not among them. 
Penetrate beneath appearances. Lazarus in his rags was a 
better companion than the rich man who was clothed in 
purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 
The obscurest saint is a child of God, with the blood-royal 
of heaven in his spiritual veins; and is destined, if faithful, 
to a dignity and splendor which will make him the peer of 
the angels who bow before the throne. 

2. Moses embraced not only fellowship with a despised 
people, but suffering. "Choosing rather to suffer affliction 
with the people of God." 

The idea is that his union with the Israelites was not 
simply nominal ; he identified himself with them expecting 



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not only to endure the stigma of such a connection, but to 
participate in all their sorrows until deliverance came. 
He did not expect his previous rank to obtain for him ex- 
emption from the ills of bondage. He did not expect, nor 
did he wish, to retain his princely state w r hile his "kinsmen 
according to the flesh " groaned by reason of their burdens. 
Like Him of whom he was an illustrious type, in stooping 
it was " to be made in all things like unto his brethren." 
Reared as he had been in a palace, accustomed to luxury 
and ease, the recipient of manifold attentions, how wretch- 
ed must have seemed to him the condition of the Israelites. 
And yet, with all its wretchedness, he deliberately chose it. 
How great his faith ! 

And he had his affliction — not in Egypt indeed, but in 
the wilderness, where he was compelled to wander as a 
shepherd, in comparative solitude, for forty years. Think 
you that to a man like Moses it was no trial to have to 
spend the maturity of his years in silence and obscurity ? 

Young men, emulate his example, and " choose rather to 
suffer affliction with the people of God." There is more 
for you to endure than the simple shame of being professed 
followers of Christ. That, in these times and in this land, 
may be lightly borne. There is the sharp discipline, the 
fiery ordeal, by which God tests and purifies the faith of all 
who seek his favor. There are trials peculiar to his people, 
trials arranged and regulated by his wisdom, various, and 
sometimes poignant in their nature, though always benevo- 
lent in their designs. Shrink not from them. They are 
stepping-stones by which you may rise to a loftier spiritu- 
ality and attain a more glorious reward. "Rejoice in trib- 
ulation." "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temp- 
tations." 

We have now considered the greatness of Moses's faith, 
as exhibited in what he renounced, and also in what he em- 
braced. We will consider: 



The Choice of Moses. 



57 



II. The Reasonableness of his Faith. 

This will appear from two facts, whose recognition by 
Moses was made by the Divine Spirit efficacious in the pro- 
duction and maintenance of his faith. 

1. The transitory nature of all sinful pleasures. They are 
only "for a season/' 

Strange it is that a fact so obvious should be so generally 
overlooked. It may be necessary, therefore, that we be at 
pains to impress you with the fugitive character of unsanc- 
tified enjoyments, if we would have you approve of the faith 
of Moses. 

Think, then, of the brevity of that period during which 
sinful pleasures are possible. "What is your life?" asks 
St. James; and his answer is: "It is even a vapor, that ap- 
peareth for a little time and then vanisheth away." How 
soon old age steals upon us, silvering our hair, palsying our 
limbs, and robbing us of our strength ! The longest life is 
but a narrow span. The venerable patriarch, leaning on 
his staff, and recalling the summers he has seen come and 
go, feels that they have passed like a flowing stream. " How 
old art thou?" asked Pharaoh of the bent and trembling 
Jacob. "And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the 
years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years; 
few and evil have the days of the years of my life been." 
Death is coming, and that speedily. With its coming will 
terminate all further possibility of unhallowed joys. To 
the soul that has hitherto regaled itself on the sweets of 
sin there will suddenly be spread a blackened wilderness, 
scorched by sirocco blasts and boundless as the years of God. 

Brief as is the period in which sinful pleasures may be 
enjoyed, they are liable to frequent interruptions. Cares 
attend the footsteps of eadh ; life has no path that hath not 
its thorns. Often the most coveted positions are the most 
unhappy, like as the tallest summits are the bleakest and 



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most desolate. A celebrated Moorish king, the grandeur 
and prosperity of whose reign have scarcely been surpassed, 
thus wrote a few days before his death : " Fifty years are 
elapsed since I ascended the throne of my ancestors. Dur- 
ing this whole term I had pleasure, wealth, and honor so 
unqualifiedly at my command that Heaven seemed to have 
lavished upon me all its choicest blessings. I now find my- 
self on the verge of the grave, and endeavoring at this aw- 
ful moment to recollect how many days of this loug reign I 
can call happy ones. I find the whole number taken to- 
gether does not exceed fourteen.'" And we venture to say 
that those fourteen days were spent if not in holy, at least 
in innocent, enjoyments. 

The pleasures of sin, even when enjoyed, are far from sat- 
isfying. There is a tinge of bitterness in the gathered fruit. 
It is difficult to so drug and stupefy conscience that she 
shall not awake and glare ominously on our impious mirth. 
Ah! even in the crowded ball-room, where beauty smiles 
and light laughter rings upon the ear, could we explore the 
hearts of the gay assemblage, we should fiud white ghosts 
lurking there — remorseful, self-accusing thoughts, which, 
however often and peremptorily they may be banished, 
sternly refuse to go. Were our ears acute enough to catch 
the unsyllabled utterances of that throng, we should discov- 
er that we had approached a sea — 

Although its heart is rich in pearls and ores, 
The sea complains upon a thousand shores; 
Sea like they moan forever. 

Still another consideration is that the capacity for sinful 
pleasures gradually ceases. "The world passeth away, and 
the lust thereof/' " But if a man live many years and rejoice 
in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, 
for they shall be many." The youth wishes to know what 
pleasure is, and so he sips greedily of each nectareous flow T - 



The Choice of Moses. 



59 



er ; but erelong he is satiated, and finds it more and more 
difficult to gratify his jaded taste; and then there is pre- 
sented the spectacle of a man worn out before his time — 
not changed — O no ; a volcano still, black, scarred, but with 
its fires exhausted ! 

How reasonable, then, the faith that could look away from 
"the pleasures of sin" in Egypt — pleasures as ravishing but 
as fleeting as the golden tints of evening, and like them con- 
cealing beneath their splendor the shadows of coming night. 

2. The other fact which evoked the faith of Moses, and 
vindicates its reasonableness, was the recompense of heaven. 
It is said that " he had respect unto the recompense of the 
reward." 

With no assurance from God of a future and better life, 
the pleasures of sin, though temporary, would have been 
invested with charms too powerful for even Moses to re- 
sist. And here it would be well to remind ourselves of 
the folly of discoursing to men of the vanity of earthly 
pleasures, unless at the same time we unfold to them those 
that are heavenly and enduring. If the vine can discern 
no tall trunk on w T hich to uplift its dependent form, what 
can it do but grovel in the dust? Moses had the promise, 
made to Abraham and his seed after him, of the land of 
Canaan. That this promise was not understood in a tem- 
poral sense only, is evident from St. Paul : " By faith Abra- 
ham, when he was called to go out into a place which he 
should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he 
went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he so- 
journed in the land of promise as in a strange country, 
dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with 
him of the same promise ; for he looked for a city which hath 
foundations, whose builder and maker is God." The reward 
then anticipated by Moses was a home in heaven; the 
promise whose fulfillment he expected was eternal life in 



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glory. Was not his then a reasonable faith? Great as was 
the self-denial it involved, extending even to the renuncia- 
tion of an empire, viewed in relation to the promise of Je- 
hovah — a promise which he had sworn by himself to per- 
form — it commends itself as the truest wisdom. How 
grander far to be a king and priest unto God forever than 
simply King of Egypt ! How better far to drink of ever- 
lasting pleasures, rivers that never dry, than to spend a life- 
time dipping into cisterns, " broken cisterns, that can hold 
no water ! " Yes, the faith of Moses was a reasonable faith, 
for he had in prospect a crown of life that fadeth not away, 
and the smile of God, which is the soul's essential peace; 
and no wonder that the yoke of bondage lost its weight, 
the desert its solitude, and reproach its sting; for these 
troubles were but momentary, and to be succeeded by a day 
of interminable joy, widening and brightening with the 
bliss of God. 

Methinks a thrill of peculiar sympathy must have vi- 
brated the soul of St. Paul when he penned the words of our 
text. There is a striking similarity between himself and 
Moses. He is, in fact, the Moses of the new dispensation. 
It was a brilliant prospect, considered from a human stand- 
point, which he renounced for Christ. As a man he was 
preeminently gifted. He possessed all the elements neces- • 
sary to render him a mighty and successful leader. At the 
time of his conversion he was perhaps the most marked 
man in all Judea. Had he so willed, his name might have 
gone down to posterity emblazoned with all that men call 
glory. "But what things were gain to him, those he count- 
ed loss for Christ." His choice and highest ambition was 
that he might "know Christ, and the power of his resur- 
rection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made 
conformable unto his death ; if by any means he might at- 
tain unto the resurrection of the dead." 



The Choice of Moses. 



61 



My friends, young and old, have faith in God. Great as 
may be the trials to which it calls you, demanding of you 
the surrender of cherished pleasures, the subjugation of evil 
appetites, laying upon you the reproach of Christ and the 
burden of his cross; only exercise it, and in the end it shall 
be found to have been a reasonable faith. 

O the "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" 
which awaits the righteous! "I reckon," says St. Paul, 
"that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to 
be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." 
Think you that now as, crowned and clothed in white, Mo- 
ses beholds the King in his beauty and the land that is very 
far off — the full blaze of that glory whose outskirts only he 
was permitted to see in the cleft of the rock at Horeb — 
think you he regrets his choice? Nor will you, my brethren, 
when the toils of the Christian life are past, the voyage 
ended, and rest reached. 



SERMON V. 

The Tree of Life. 

"I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit 
was sweet to my taste." (The Song of Solomon ii. 3.) 

THE Scriptures present us with many emblems of 
Christ; and we have here one of the most beautiful 
and attractive. Christ is represented as a tree. As such 
he is to the Church the occasion of exquisite delight, What 
there is in him to awaken such joy will appear when we 
consider his manifold perfections. 
1. Consider the age of the tree. 

Walking in the woods, your attention is now and then 
directed to some tree more venerable than the rest. You 
stand and look at it with a feeling of reverence. You think 
of the long years, the centuries perhaps, that have passed 
since it sprung, a tender sapling, from the earth. You 
think of the events that have transpired since it first re- 
ceived the beams of the sun and the soft drops of the sum- 
mer shower. You think of the eyes that may have gazed 
upon it, now dim in death; and the feet that may have 
walked beneath it, now still forever in the grave. But old 
as that tree may be, its years are as nothing compared with 
the age of Christ. He is the Tree of Life. There never 
was a period when he was without existence, Before the 
mountains were brought forth, or ever the world was 
formed ; when indeed there was nothing in space — not one 
of all the countless orbs which now irradiate its depths; 
when there were no angels — not a winged seraph, chanting 
his songs before the eternal throne: in that dateless past 
Jesus lived and rose up in the sight of his Divine Father, 



The Tree of Life, 



63 



"the brightness of his glory and the express image of his 
person." It would take but a short time to count the con- 
centric rings which mark the years of the mightiest mon- 
arch of our forests; but who shall count the years of the 
Son of God? He is "from everlasting to everlasting." 

2. Consider the size of the tree. 

Some trees are distinguished for their colossal height and 
far-reaching breadth. We have read of trees so large that 
an army could stand beneath the canopy of their umbra- 
geous boughs. But how insignificant is the stateliest tree 
of earth to the Plant of Renown, the Lord Jesus Christ! 
"Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord? " There 
is no place where we shall be beyond the sight of his tow- 
ering splendor. The trunk of this Tree has its roots in 
eternity, and its branches extend through immensity. The 
stars in their far-off orbits, the nebulae which no telescope 
can resolve, are but some of the leaves and blossoms and 
fruits which hang from its mighty arms. " Thou, Lord? 
in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and 
the heavens are the work of thy hands." "All things were 
made by him, and without him was not any thing made 
that w T as made." 

3. Consider the strength of the tree. 

Some trees will grow and flourish in the most exposed 
situation — on some desolate crag where the salt winds blow, 
or far up on the crest of the mountain, where the avalanche 
thunders and the wild tempests rage. Firmly clasping the 
underlying rocks, they lift their proud heads and live on, 
while cities crumble and generations pass away. But how 
feeble are the mightiest trees which crown our hills and 
fringe our coasts to the Root of Jesse, in whose stem is "the 
power of an endless life ! " Sooner or later they all fall — 
worn out by inward decay, or felled by the woodman's ax, 
or uprooted by the maddened storm, The terebinth under 



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which Abraham pitched his tent has long since disappeared ; 
and so has the oak under whose broad shade the faithful 
Deborah was laid to rest. We should search in vain for 
the palms at Eliin, so grateful to the Israelites in their wan- 
derings through the wilderness ; or the mulberry-trees, the 
rustling in whose tops was to David the divine signal of 
victory; or for the cedars, whose dense forests were the 
glory of Lebanon in the days of Solomon; or for the 
gnarled olives which quivered in the moonlight as they 
witnessed the strange agony in Gethsemane. One by one 
they have all perished. But Christ lives, impervious to 
change, unaffected by the flight of time, undisturbed by the 
wrath of man. He is incorruptible. He has no principle 
of decay. His strength is infinite. The loudest storms of 
opposition cannot bend or detach him from his sure foun- 
dations. " In him is life." "His years shall not fail." 

4. Consider the symmetry of this tree. 

Few trees are perfectly symmetrical. There is usually a 
lack of proportion, an incompleteness, even where there is 
much that is beautiful and imposing. The limbs may be 
more numerous on one side than on the other; here they 
may be thrown out in graceful curves, but there with un- 
shapely angles; here they may be green and fruitful, but 
there they may be decayed and broken. Now and then 
you find a tree unmarred by these defects — at least they 
are not apparent to the casual glance. I have seen such 
trees, and I have returned again and again to feast my eyes 
on their comely forms. But what is their symmetry to that 
of the Tree of Righteousness, the Son of the living God? 
A closer inspection will invariably discover some flaw in 
the most symmetrical of our trees. But scrutinize Christ 
ever so closely, go round and round the whole circumfer- 
ence of his earthly life, peer into the innermost recesses of 
his being, look upon the twining branches of his thoughts 



The Tree of Life. 



65 



and feelings, contemplate the rich verdure of his words and 
acts — nowhere can you detect the slightest blemish. The 
testimony of impartial criticism, like that of Pilate, must 
be, " I find in him no fault at all." In this respect he stands 
alone among men. All others are more or less irregular 
in their development. They are perhaps remarkable for 
intelligence, but they are wanting in affection; they may 
be tender and compassionate, but they are lacking in de- 
cision ; they may be frank and communicative, but they 
are devoid of dignity ; they may be zealous and fearless, 
but destitute of prudence; they may have all excellences, 
but while some shall hang in ripened sweetness, others shall be 
but in flower, and others still but in bud. Christ alone is ab- 
solutely perfect. He is "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate 
from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." To his 
bitterest enemies his challenge is, " Which of you convinc- 
eth me of sin?" He never did an injury, and never re- 
sented one done to him ; never uttered an untruth, never 
practiced a deception, and never lost an opportunity of do- 
ing good ; generous in the midst of the selfish, upright in 
the midst of the dishonest, pure in the midst of the sensual, 
and wise for above the wisest of earth's sages and philoso- 
phers ; loving and gentle, yet immovably resolute, and 
whose illimitable meekness and patience never once for- 
sook him in a vexatious, ungrateful, and cruel world. O 
Tree of Perfect Beauty! fairest of all the trees in the 
garden of God! angels gaze upon thee with unceasing 
rapture, and the redeemed before the throne praise thee 
with a voice as the sound of many waters ! 
5. Consider the shade of this tree. 

Some trees are valued because of their shade. Flinging 
wide their branches, they afford a delightful retreat from 
the heat, and a shelter from the storm. How often in sum- 
mer have we sought some spreading oak or drooping elm, 



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and recruited our exhausted energies while resting beneath 
its cool shade! Far from house, with no habitation near, 
and loud thunders reverberating .over our heads, and light- 
nings flashing along our path, and the swift rain-drops 
blinding our vision, we have found the adjacent forest a 
convenient refuge, where we have remained until the sky 
cleared and the tempest ceased. Christ, the Tree of Life, 
also offers a refreshing shade. He says: "Come unto me, 
all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you 
rest." Are we burdened with poverty? he will give us 
contentment; are we weary with sickness? he will give us 
acquiescence; are we oppressed with temptations? he will 
give us strength ; are we overwhelmed with bereavement ? 
he will give us fortitude ; are we fatigued with age ? he 
will give us hope. From no other source can we derive 
such cheer. We might betake ourselves to other trees — 
the riches, honors, and pleasures of life — and while reclin- 
ing under their green boughs and fragrant blossoms *we 
might realize some measure of comfort and repose ; but ere- 
long we should find them to be as Jonah's gourd — sufficient 
while our trials were as the sultry breath of morning, but 
too frail to screen us from the fierce rays of the ascending 
sun. There is no rest like that to be found in Jesus. Away 
from the shade of the Tree of Life, and remembering its 
delightfulness. the psalmist exclaimed, "Return unto thy 
rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with 
thee ! " Christ affords not only repose, but protection. " Here 
the persecuted find a place of refuge from the evils of the 
world, and the tempted a retreat from their spiritual ene- 
mies." " Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be 
safe." Many a tree has but attracted the lightning which 
has riven it.- trunk, and smitten with death those who had 
taken refuge beneath its boughs. But no harm can befall 
those who abide under the shadow of Christ, -It is "the 



The Tree of Life. 



67 



shadow of the Almighty." "If God be for us, who can be 
against us?" Says David: "Because thou hast made the 
Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habita- 
tion, there shall no evil befall thee." Men may rise against 
us ; devils may seek our destruction ; but they are power- 
less before the Lord, nor can they inflict a real injury on 
those who trust in him. I have seen the storm shaking the 
forest, and in the midst of its fury I have looked up and 
seen the tiny birds perched among the trees, undisturbed 
by the raging elements. So, in the midst of the most dead- 
ly opposition we may be serene and cheerful, if reposing 
on the love of Christ. 

6. Consider the fruit of this tree. 

Some trees are prized for their fruit — the date and the 
olive, the fig and the pomegranate, the almond and the peach, 
the apple and the orange, and many others with which our 
orchards and fields have long made us familiar. The fruit 
of some is esteemed for its flavor, of others for its delicious 
fragrance, of others for its wholesomeness, of others for 
its adaptation to purposes of general utility. The Tree of 
Life is also fruitful, and the fruit of this tree has a com- 
bination of merits possessed by no other. It is distin- 
guished by the most wonderful variety. Other trees, un- 
less artificial means are employed, produce but one kind of 
fruit ; but the fruit of this tree is of so many different kinds 
that it is impossible to enumerate them. Its fruit is as va- 
ried as are the blessings to be enjoyed in time and in eter- 
nity. "Godliness is profitable unto all things; having 
promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to 
come." On the nearer and lower branches we discover par- 
don, purity, joy, peace, love, hope. But the tree towers, 
and the topmost boughs are beyond our sight, and we must 
scale the heavens and gaze upon the bliss of the renewed 
before we can describe " the riches of our inheritance in 



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Christ." This fruit is distinguished not only for its rich 
variety, but also for its abundance. It matters not how 
many may come to the Tree of Life, or how often they 
may come, there is always a sufficiency for all. Millions 
have partaken of this tree, but its boughs are as thickly 
laden to-day as when they were bent by the first of our 
race. The fruit is independent of seasons. It is just as 
plentiful in winter as in summer. It is always ripe. It 
never decays. It never falls. In childhood, in manhood, 
in old age, in the time of affliction, in the hour of death, it 
may be found in all its perfection. This fruit is also dis- 
tinguished for its singular accessibility. The fruit of some 
trees is abundant, but between us and its enjoyment may be 
rolling seas and scorching sands. The only barrier be- 
tween us and the fruit of the Tree of Life, is our unbelief. 
We have only to put forth the hand of faith, and instantly 
we grasp it. " The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, 
and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we 
preach ; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord 
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised 
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." This fruit is dis- 
tinguished for its sweetness. Said a converted heathen: " I 
have tasted honey in my ow T n land, and sugar in the white 
man's land; but there is nothing half so sweet as the love 
of Jesus." Said Mr. Cheyne, of Scotland: " I have tasted 
all the pleasures of sin, but they were not near so sweet as 
one drop of Christ's pure love." "What are you doing?" 
said a minister, as he one day visited a feeble old man, who 
dwelt in a windy hovel; "What are you doing?" as he 
saw him sitting beneath the dripping rafters in his smoky 
chamber, with his Bible upon his knee. "O sir! I am 
sitting under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit 
is sweet to my taste! " So sweet is it that in the midst of 
the bitterest sorrow it fills the soul with rapture, and often 



TJie Tree of Life. 



69 



inspires the tongue to shout aloud its praises. This fruit is 
also distinguished for its remarkable virtues. In ancient 
times the balm of Gilead was famed for its medicinal qual- 
ities, and in our own times there are many trees which are 
prized for similar properties ; but the fruit of the Tree of 
Life can do what no other tree can effect — it can rid us of 
the virus of sin ; it can remove the leprosy, the plague of 
our hearts. O the moral transformation which follows the 
partaking of this precious fruit! The eyes of our under- 
standing are enlightened, and then we can discern the 
glory of God ; our ears, long so dull, are unstopped, so that 
Ave catch celestial harmonies; our feet, once so halt, have 
strength and suppleness put into them, so that we run the 
way of the divine commandments; every spiritual faculty 
is invigorated ; we are new creatures in Christ Jesus. 

We have now considered the various perfections of the 
Tree of Life. Is there any tree in all the universe to be 
compared with this tree ? Where could we better rest than 
underneath its far-spreading boughs? Brethren, never for- 
sake this tree. Keep under its blessed shadow ; contem- 
plate its unfading beauty; trust in its eternal strength; 
partake of its golden fruit. To abandon it is to perish. It 
is to expose yourselves to the shafts of the second death, 
and to the torments of a burning hell. 

Those of you who have never sat under the shadow of 
this tree — never partaken of its fruit — I would urge to flee 
to it at once. Here is safety ; here is happiness ; here is 
everlasting life. 



SERMON VI. 



The Womax of Canaan. 



" Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy 
faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." (Matt. xv. 28.) 

/~\UR Lord had now reached the meridian of his fame, 



Vy and vast multitudes followed him from place to place. ' 
" He could not be hid." " Departing into the coasts of 
Tyre and Sidon," he was met by a woman of Canaan who 
ajDplied to him in behalf of her daughter, who was " griev- 
ously vexed with a devil." 

Demoniacal possessions, now unknown, seem to have 
been common at that period. Satan and his hosts, in token 
of their authority, frequently seized on the human faculties, 
producing the most direful consequences, both physical and 
mental. There was but One on earth who could dislodge 
them. Wielding divine power, Christ, on numberless occa- 
sions, evinced his compassion by casting them out, and de- 
livering men from their cruel and destructive dominion. 
When solicited in the instance before us, he seems, for the 
first time in his history, unwilling to grant the request. 
Reverential as was the poor woman's address, touching as 
was the tale of her woe, " he answered her not a word." 
We must not construe this silence into indifference; we 
may rest assured none sympathized with the suppliant more 
tenderly than the Saviour ; as we shaH speedily see, he only 
desired to test the strength of her faith. Observing that 
she still continued her pleading, and perceiving from her 
countenance how deep was her distress, the disciples step 
forward and assist her with their intercessions. Having 




The Woman of Qanaan. 



71 



witnessed the mighty miracles which their Master had al- 
ready performed, and persuaded that there was no diffi- 
culty which he could not remove, and no enemy which he 
could not subdue, they besought him, saying, " Send her 
away; for she crieth after us." But he answered and 
said, " I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of 
Israel." This statement was most true ; for our Lord's per- 
sonal ministry was more especially designed for the benefit 
of the Jews, and it was not until after his death that the 
commission was given, " Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the gospel to every creature." But undismayed by 
his reply to his disciples, the woman drew near " and wor- 
shiped him, saying, Lord, help me." But as though un- 
moved, notwithstanding her lowly attitude and tearful en- 
treaty, the Saviour answered, "It. is not meet to take the 
children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." This contemptu- 
ous epithet was applied by the Jews to the Gentile nations 
on account of their polluting and degrading idolatries, and 
our Lord employed it not with the intention of giving it 
his sanction, but simply as a proverbial expression adapted 
to serve his purpose on the present occasion. The woman, 
far from resenting this reproachful allusion, replied : " Truth, 
Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their 
masters' table." "Then Jesus answered and said unto her, 
O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou 
wilt." 

My friends, this whole narrative is exceedingly interest- 
ing, and with a little care we may elicit from it some im- 
portant and profitable lessons. 

1. It should teach us, first, to diligently improve our re- 
ligions advantages. 

Is it not surprising to find this poor woman at the feet of 
Jesus? For consider who she was, and how many difficul- 
ties strewed the path of her approach to the Saviour. She 



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Sermons by JR. L. Harper. 



was a Canaanite; not one of the chosen people, but a de- 
scendant of an apostate and proscribed race. In all prob- 
ability it had never been her privilege to peruse a copy of 
the sacred Word. She had been nurtured in heathenism ; 
accustomed from youth to scenes of cruelty, superstition, 
and vice; and up to the time that she first heard of Jesus, 
we have every reason to believe that her principles and 
practice were in strict conformity with her early education. 
It was then as a prejudiced heathen that she heard of the 
Saviour. It may be that some traveler from Judea, paus- 
ing a moment at her door to refresh his fevered lips, no- 
ticed the sad condition of her daughter, and kindly in- 
formed the afflicted parent of the Prophet of Nazareth, and 
of his many wonderful works. But with her pagan pre- 
dilections, and knowledge of Jewish pride, this intelligence 
would be by no means the most likely to bring her to Jesus ; 
for after the stranger's departure, the thought would nat- 
urally arise : "Is not the prophet a Jew, and am not I a 
Gentile? and this being the case, what likelihood is there, 
if I go to him, that he will show mercy to me, of a race 
whom this people abhor ? " Furthermore, she might argue : 
" Perhaps this stranger has exaggerated the prophet's pow- 
er; possibly he is only envious of the fame of our gods, 
and would exalt the Nazarene above them." Such might 
have been her objections; but if so, it is evident she did 
not allow them to control her long. " There is in faith a 
sound logic, just as in earnestness there is a deep divina- 
tion." News soon reached her that our Lord had entered 
" the coasts of Tyre and Sidon ; " and to her everlasting re- 
nown, notwithstanding she had never seen him perform a 
miracle, notwithstanding she had strong reasons to fear 
that he would deny her request, yet, weighing well all she 
had heard respecting him, she came to the conclusion that 
he must be a Being of unlimited power and love ; and sup- 



The Woman of Canaan. 



73 



ported by this conclusion she went forth and with confi- 
dence applied for mercy. 

My unconverted friends, be admonished by this poor 
Canaanite. Learn from her to diligently improve your re- 
ligious advantages. Few were her advantages as com- 
pared with yours. You have been blessed with a religious 
education. Perhaps you were privileged with a father's 
counsels and with a mother's prayers. Though they sleep 
in the dust, you still have at your command an open Bible. 
Sermons ring on your ear Sabbath after Sabbath. Kind 
friends expostulate with you, and to their efforts in your 
behalf the Holy Spirit adds his gracious drawings and 
promptings. You have no reason, like the woman of Ca- 
naan, to doubt either the power or the love of the Saviour. 
You know full well that he is "a refuge, a present help 
in trouble." Miracles have been performed all around 
you. You have seen hardened and abandoned sinners, 
burdened with guilt, prostrate themselves at the feet of 
Jesus, and rise renewed, ennobled, and free. You cannot 
question the reality of their conversion. You see them 
placed in situations of trial, and to your astonishment 
they remain immovable " as rocks left by the ebbing tide." 
You stand by their bedside and watch them die; and as 
the shadows of the dark valley creep around them, you 
catch their whisperings of rejoicing hope; you hear them 
tell of a light that streams beyond, of harps and crowns, 
of many mansions, and of bliss for evermore. 

Yet, with all these advantages, you still remain " in 
the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." Why, 
O why such egregious folly? Why haste you not to that 
Saviour who can deliver you from the dominion of Satan 
and confer on you the glorious liberty of the sons of God? 
Why harbor any longer the demon of sin, and suffer your 
poor souls to be tortured and torn by its pitiless power? 
4 



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What excuse can you give for your indifference at the 
final bar? Shut your eyes to it as you may, the judg- 
ment is before you; all humanity presses on to the grand 
crisis; and appalling must be your future should you ap- 
pear there in your present corrupt and unsanctified state. 
O I tell you, I would rather be one of those wretched 
millions who were swept away by that desolating flood, 
which came upon the earth and overflowed the tops of 
the tallest mountains ; rather be one of those sons of Sodom 
and Gomorrah, upon whom descended heaven's torrent of 
fire, and over whose graves the Dead Sea now rolls its sol- 
emn requiem ; rather be one of those arrogant Assyrians, 
who, defying the Most High, encamped against the be- 
loved city, and while dreaming of blood and booty, fell a 
prey to the angel of death ; rather be one of those haughty 
Babylonians, who, while worshiping the gods of gold and 
of silver, were startled by the finger of doom, and the 
same night surrounded and smitten by Persian swords ; 
rather be one of those vile Jews, who rejected our Saviour, 
plotted against his life, and securing his condemnation, 
with cruel insult led. him away to die ; yea, believe me, 
rather be Judas himself, in - the day of judgment, than to 
stand there guilty and unforgiven, after having enjoyed 
the unparalleled privileges of this present time. Had they 
enjoyed these privileges, they might have repented in sack- 
cloth and ashes. 

2. This narrative should teach us, secondly, the true de- 
sign of affliction. 

We have noticed the obstacles which stood in the way of 
this poor woman's approach to the Saviour. Formidable 
as they were, she rose above them all and hasted to fling 
herself a suppliant at his feet. But here it should be ob- 
served that had it not been for her affliction she might 
never have made this visit. The malady of her daughter 



The Woman of Canaan. 



75 



was such as to awaken her deepest solicitude. To have 
had her child the victim of some insidious and incurable 
disease incident to humanity would have been distressing 
enough ; but that she should be possessed of a devil, how 
fearful ! Like the wrecked voyager cast on some bleak 
and desolate island, far out in mid-ocean, her eyes were 
forever roving in search of some friendly aid. And when 
at last she heard of the approach of Jesus, and remem- 
bered what had been told her of his wondrous deeds and 
overflowing sympathy and love, the hope of sharing his 
mercy, and once more seeing her daughter in the enjoy- 
ment of health and peace, operated as an incentive to dis- 
miss her doubts and make immediate application. Had 
she never known trouble, had her lot on earth been one of 
unalloyed happiness, had she been blessed with domestic 
felicity — with no wind to ruffle and no cloud to darken the 
river of her peace — she might have heard of the Saviour, 
and frequently had her curiosity aroused to see so wonder- 
ful a personage, but the probability is that she would have 
remained at home, and lived and died a heathen. 

Few of us, my friends, sufficiently appreciate affliction; 
yet we may rest assured that all our sorrows are appointed 
or permitted for wise and salutary purposes. He who 
reigns over us is not a malignant tyrant, but a kind and 
benevolent parent. It is in mercy, rather than in anger, 
that we are smitten. God desires our eternal happiness; 
and affliction should be viewed as part of that discipline by 
which he would make us " meet for the inheritance of the 
saints in light." In the economy of grace, salvation is to 
be found in Christ alone; hence, a'ffliction is designed to 
lead us to him. And, my friends, do not judge it unnec- 
essary. Sad to say, there is in the human heart a natural 
aversion to Christ. Whether this is exhibited in the most 
open and skeptical rejection of his laws, or whether it be 



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concealed under the punctiliousness of mere outward com- 
pliance, the principle is the same: we will not submit to 
his authority, we will not tender to him our -affections, we 
will love the creature more than the Creator, and in spite 
of protest and warning, " hew out for ourselves cisterns, 
broken cisterns, which can hold no water." Gracious, then, 
is the severest stroke, if the means of subduing our pride, 
and prostrating us as humble suppliants at the feet of 
Jesus. Such is the peculiar office of affliction. " Before I 
was afflicted," says the psalmist, "I went astray; but now 
have I kept thy word." Indeed, in some it seems impossi- 
ble to awaken penitence and faith save by this instrumen- 
tality. Plant them on the heights of prosperity, and like 
certain seeds that we have known, years may pass and no 
impression be made on the hard outer shell of worldliness 
which incrusts them. Like the same seed, they must be 
sown by sighing streams, far down in the deep secluded 
vale, and then they will germinate and grow up into trees 
of unrivaled stature and beauty. Prize affliction, then, 
when allotted you. Placed in this school, you will, if dili- 
gent and faithful, learn lessons which you might never have 
learned elsewhere. Taught the evil of sin, the vanity of 
the creature, and the importance of constant preparation 
for death, step by step you will be conducted to that Sav- 
iour who alone can give you "the promise of eternal life." 
What would have been the condition of many professed 
Christians of to-day had they never been afflicted? It was 
the swell of the ocean which drove you to the open port; 
it was the thirst of the desert which led you to the fount- 
ains of living water;* it was the tramp of the destroyer, 
Death, and the gleam of his quivering spear, which sped 
you to the sanctuary of the Rock of ages. To you may 
be applied the words of the prophet: "Lord, in trouble 
have they visited thee; they poured out a prayer when 



The Woman of Candan. 



77 



thy chastening was upon them." Even after conversion, 
affliction is frequently necessary to arouse us to seek a more 
intimate and thorough acquaintance with the Saviour. 
Pardon of sin and some progress in the divine life do not 
of themselves save us from occasionally subsiding into a 
self-satisfied state. W % e are told of eagles that the parent 
birds, on finding their young loath to fly, procure thorns, 
which they fix in their nest, and thus compel them to arise. 
Even so our Heavenly Father, finding us sluggish and in- 
different — more intent on our own ease than advancement 
in grace — pierces us with afflictions, to the end that we 
may abandon our inglorious rest, " mount up with wings as 
eagles, run and not be weary, and walk and not faint." 

Dear friends, when afflicted regard it as a call to seek 
the Saviour. Do not murmur at it as a needless yoke. Do 
not try to shake it off by rushing into gay society or sip- 
ping of the sparkling bowl; nor seek relief, as do many, in 
light literature or in foreign scenes. Have recourse to 
Jesus. Betake yourselves to prayer, encouraged by the 
gracious assurance, "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I 
will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Remember 
that it is a law " that we must through much tribulation 
enter into the kingdom of God." The most illustrious 
saints who now wave the unfading palm in the heavenly 
city are those who " endured hardness as good soldiers of 
Jesus Christ." As in the natural, so in the spiritual world: 

The roots of fairest bloom lie sometimes hidden 
The deepest underneath the soil ; the stones 
Of purest crystal are from gloomiest mines ; 
The tenderest pearls are won from roughest seas ; 
And stars of colors dipped in Iris splendors 
Beam from unfathomable distances 
Ere they disclose their radiance. 

3. Observe, this narrative should teach us, thirdly, to la- 
bor earnestly and perseveringly for the salvation of sinners. 



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What efforts did this poor woman make to procure relief 
for her afflicted child ! We have already seen what diffi- 
culties she encountered and overcame before reaching the 
Saviour. But severe trials are in store for her. No sooner 
has she come into his presence than she ventures, in sad, 
tremulous tones, to give utterance to her plea: " Have 
mercy on me, Lord, thou Son of David ! my daughter is 
grievously vexed with a devil. " But with what result? 
"He answered her not a ivord." How discouraging! Con- 
ceive, if you can, the pang she must have felt on finding 
herself thus unregarded. No doubt she had left her home 
entertaining the most exalted views of the Jewish prophet. 
On her way she had buoyed up her faith and beguiled her 
loneliness by reflecting on the many notable miracles he 
had wrought. She thought, perhaps, on the blind man who 
had called to him, and whose sight he had restored by a 
word ; she thought, it may be, of the widow of Nain, and 
his recalling her son from the bier on which he was being 
borne to the grave. And thus, strengthened and encour- 
aged, she approached the Saviour, expecting that he would 
at once hear and answer her petition. Does she now aban- 
don hope, and, turning away in despair, retrace her steps 
to that lonely cottage where writhes her afflicted daughter? 
Many would; but not she. Speeding after the Saviour, she 
resumes and repeats her cry, " Have mercy on me, O Lord, 
thou Son of David ! " Still there is no response. At last, 
either wearied by her importunity, or sympathizing with 
her distress, the disciples intercede in her behalf. " Send 
her away," they entreat, " for she crieth after us." Poor 
woman ! on hearing this her hopes expand, but — as the se- 
quel proves — only as tender buds that fanned by deceitful 
gales put forth their leaves in early spring, to see them 
nipped by some untimely frost. Turning, abruptly, to his 
disciples, our Lord replied, with apparent asperity, " I am 



The Woman of Canaan. 



79 



not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 
Does this satisfy her of the futility of her request? Brave 
heart! no. Her affection, like a fertilizing sun, again 
quickens the still purposes of her heart. " Then came she 
and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me." "Is it true 
that thou art sent only to the lost sheep of the house of 
Israel? let thy mercy overflow! Help me! " "But he 
answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's 
bread and to cast it to dogs." Is she satisfied of the hope- 
lessness of her case now? Surely she might be. What, 
spurned from his feet as a dog! But her faith is like that 
of Job, when he said, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust 
in him." Where others would have seen naught but abso- 
lute and unequivocal denial — a midnight without a star — 
she descries the pale harbinger of day. Soaring on the 
storm that would have beaten down feebler faith, through 
the grim canopy of clouds, she sees rays in reserve, ready 
to burst from the broad, bright bosom of the Sun of right- 
eousness. Like honey in the bare brown rock, like jewels in 
the deep, dark cave, hope hides in our Lord's stern figure. 
"Truth, Lord," she says, "it is not meet to take the chil- 
dren's bread and cast it to the dogs, yet the dogs eat of the 
crumbs which fall from their masters' table." 

The persevering prayer of faith prevailed. His gracious 
purpose accomplished — the development of her faith — our 
Lord dropped his disguise and disclosed himself in all his 
unutterable sympathy and love. He exclaimed, "O wom- 
an, great is thy faith ! be it unto thee even as thou wilt." 

Brethren, shall we not profit by this example of success- 
ful supplication ? Multitudes around us, if not demoniacs 
in the sense of the daughter of the Canaanite, are neverthe- 
less subjects of the evil one, and the victims of his power. 
Some of them are our acquaintances, our friends, our near- 
est relatives. Shall we be idle? Was not this the pur- 



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pose for which the Son of God was manifested, that he 
might destroy the works of the devil? Has he not all 
power in heaven and in earth ? And is it not his pleasure 
to put special honor upon human sympathy and prayers? 
Yes, the keys of deliverance have been left, to a considera- 
ble extent, in our keeping. With us it is to increase in- 
definitely the privileges, and, by consequence, the chances 
for salvation of the unconverted around us. Again I ask, 
Can we be idle ? Alas that so many fail to realize the mag- 
nitude of their responsibility in this respect! Would God 
that I could arouse such from their awful apathy! Is it 
not the command of Heaven addressed to each, " Thou 
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself? " Are not all the ex- 
amples held up in Scripture for our imitation distinguished 
for their love of men ? See Abraham interceding for guilty 
and polluted Sodom. Listen to Moses as he pleads for the 
children of Israel : a O this people have sinned a great sin ! 
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot 
me, I pray thee, out of the book which thou hast written." 
Hearken to David : " Rivers of water run down mine eyes, 
because men keep not thy law." And hear the weeping 
Jeremiah, as he bemoans the iniquity of his people: "O 
that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of 
tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the 
daughter of my people! " 

Then, my brethren, labor for the salvation of souls. 
Labor for the salvation of your children, your neighbors, 
and all with whom you are associated. Especially labor 
for them by diligent and fervent prayer. And be not dis- 
couraged if at any time success seems doubtful. "Weary 
not in Well-doing." Remember the woman of Canaan, and 
take courage. Delays are not denials. Sow your seed, and 
hope for the harvest ; trim your lamp, and watch for the 
Master's coming ; unfurl your sails, and as you bound over 



The Woman of Canaan. 



81 



the billow, believe you are near the haven. " The effectual 
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much " — how 
much? who can tell? Well said the poet, "More things 
are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." O the 
efficacy, the power of prayer! Prayer can widen the way 
to the wicket of mercy, and impart fresh energy to strug- 
gling sinners ; prayer can anoint them with the oil of glad- 
ness, and turn their mourning into joy; prayer can deck 
them with a beauty beyond that of earth, and clothe them 
with a robe like that which angels wear; prayer can level 
the mountains and uplift the valleys, and make smooth the 
rough places which lie in their subsequent path. Ah, 
brethren, what wonders has prayer wrought ! It has healed 
the sick; it has raised the dead ; it has won victories over 
all the elements of nature. Fire, air, earth, water, have all 
been yoked to its triumphant car. Prayer divided the Red 
Sea; prayer consumed Elijah's sacrifice; prayer "arrested 
the sun in his course, and stayed the wheels of the chariot 
of the xnoorl." 

Up, then, O Christian, and live for something besides 
self ! Labor, like the woman of Canaan, for the welfare of 
others. Kneel, plead, agonize for the salvation of men, 
and falter not, but be patient and persevering. " Let him 
know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of 
his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a mul- 
titude of sins." "They that be wise shall shine as the 
brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to 
righteousness, as the stars forever and ever." 
4* 



SERMON VII. 

The Great White Throne. 

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from 
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ; and there was found 
no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand be- 
fore God ; and the books were opened ; and another book was 
opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of 
those things which were written in the books, according to their 
works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; and death 
and hell delivered up the dead which were in them ; and they were 
judged every man according to their works." (Kev. xx. 11-13.) 

JOHN saw in vision what we shall yet see in dread re- 
ality. The scene is described to us that we may 
prepare for it; and surely we must be insensible indeed, 
if it fail to awaken our awe and to excite our apprehen- 
sion. 

Let us detach our thoughts from what is simply sublu- 
nary, and for a brief while ponder the picture here pre- 
sented by the inspired seer. 

1. The throne is the first object which arrests attention. 
" I saw a great white throne." 

The throne is the seat of royal authority. The author- 
ity of which this throne is the center is absolute and uni- 
versal. It extends to every department of creation; it 
reaches to the remotest bounds of immensity. The tiniest 
insect is under its control ; the loftiest archangel is subject 
to its sway. The thrones of earth exercise a limited author- 
ity, and are liable to be subverted ; this throne is immova- 
ble. No revolutions can shake it; the waves of opposition 
may dash themselves against it, but " the Lord on high is 
mightier than the noise of many waters — yea, than the 



The Great White Throne. 



83 



mighty waves of the sea." Time, the destroyer of so many 
thrones, is powerless here. The eternal years serve but to 
unfold its grandeur and to reveal its strength. It is, in a 
sense which belongs to no other, " a great throne." There 
is something in the color of this throne which is worthy of 
notice. It is described as "a great white throne." What 
is indicated by this snowy splendor ? What but the spot- 
less purity, the untarnished rectitude of Him who is its oc- 
cupant? "A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of his 
kingdom." It is right that he should have dominion. His 
throne is his exclusive property. His government is not a 
usurpation. " It is of old, even from everlasting." Where 
is the earthly throne that was not originally set up by vio- 
lence or fraud? Where is the human dynasty that can 
base its prerogative on inherent right? The administration 
of this throne, moreover, has been unblemished. Few are 
the earthly thrones that have not been stained by cruelty 
or oppression. Crimson would be their appropriate color. 
But the strictest equity has marked this throne ; every act, 
every procedure that has emanated from it has been in- 
spired by the profoundest wisdom and directed to the no- 
blest ends. Who can impeach the conduct of the Most 
High ? who bring a railing accusation against any feature 
of his government ? Like a fog which rises from the earth 
and obscures the sun, the limitations of human reason may, 
in some cases, cause "clouds and darkness" to be "round 
about him;" still, "righteousness and judgment are the 
habitation of his throne." "The Lord our God is holy." 
He is so essentially ; he is so unchangeably. " He cannot 
be tempted with evil." He is not " a God that hath pleas- 
ure in wickedness." O the immaculate holiness of Him who 
sitteth upon the throne of the universe! The vault of 
heaven in its pellucid brightness, unflecked by a solitary 
cloud, undimmed by the slightest vapor, is but a faint em- 



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blera of his transcendent purity. " Behold even to the 
moon, and it shineth not ; yea, the stars are not pure in his 
sight." "A God of truth and without iniquity, just and 
right is he." 

2. Leaving the throne, as suggestive of the majesty and 
purity of its occupant, let us now contemplate the Judge 
himself. " Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth 
and the heaven fled away." 

At first we might suppose that it is the Deity, in his spir- 
itual essence, devoid of any form or shape, who here ap- 
pears to execute judgment. It is God, indeed, who shall 
judge the world. "As I live," saith the Lord, " every knee 
shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 
So, then, every one of us shall give account of himself to 
God." But while this is so, we learn from other passages 
of Scripture that it is God Incarnate, that Divine Son who 
in human form shares with the Father the sovereignty of 
the universe, who shall officiate at the last day as the Su- 
preme Arbiter of the destinies of men. " The Father," we 
are told, " judgeth no man, but hath committed all judg- 
ment unto the Son." "It is he," it is said, " which was or- 
dained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead." And 
again, with equal explicitness, it is declared, "God shall 
judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." Looking now 
more closely at the portraiture of the text, see we not in it 
a confirmation of the fact that it is Christ who shall judge 
the world? " From whose /ace," it is said, "the earth and 
the heaven fled away." To whom does this expression so 
appropriately and forcibly apply as to the Second Person 
in the Trinity ? he " who being in the form of God thought 
it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of 
no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, 
and was made in the likeness of men? " Yes, it is from the 
face of the glorified Saviour, from the kindling glance of 



The Great White Throne. 



85 



that countenance which shineth as the sun, that the earth 
and the heaven flee away. 

In the arrangement by which the Divine Son is assigned 
the office of Universal Judge, there is the most exquisite 
fitness. His human nature, since its assumption, constitutes 
an integral part of his being. It was in that human nat- 
ure that he humbled himself and became obedient unto 
death, even the death of the cross. And it is but just that 
in that same nature he should be exalted and vindicated as 
"very and eternal God." What could so completely roll 
away every reproach that has been cast upon him ? what 
could so decisively demonstrate his Godhead as his visible 
enthronement in majesty and power, to adjudicate the des- 
tiny of the myriads of mankind ? The thought of this vin- 
dication sustained him when arraigned before the Jewish 
sanhedrim. When the high-priest adjured him to tell 
them whether he was the Christ the Son of God, he an- 
swered, "Thou hast said;" and then, as if conscious of the 
seeming incongruity between the lowliness of his circum- 
stances and the loftiness of his claim, he added : " Never- 
theless, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see the Son of 
man sitting on the right-hand of power, and coming in the 
clouds of heaven." There is mercy to us as well as justice 
to him in the arrangement. It affords comfort to the pious 
to know that they are to be judged by one who, while pos- 
sessing all the attributes of Deity, has also a human expe- 
rience. Surely he will judge the people righteously ; he 
will not exact aught that is above our capacity ; he know- 
eth our frame ; he remembereth that we are dust. To the 
wicked, indeed, though guaranteeing the equity of their 
sentence, it will be no ground of consolation that Christ is 
to be their Judge. They would prefer any face to that 
adown which trickled the blood-drops of redemption, and 
over which, for their sake, stole the pallor of death ! As 



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they look on him whom they have pierced, they will wail 
because of him ; the memory of his mighty love will awaken 
deepest anguish. As they recall his sufferings and death, 
his precepts and promises, his warnings and entreaties, his 
long-suffering and tender mercy, and think that all has 
been rendered fruitless by their obstinacy and impenitence, 
they will call on rocks to fall on them, and on mountains 
to hide them " from the face of him that sitteth on the 
throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb." 

" I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from 
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away." Who 
can read these words without drawing a contrast between 
his first and second advent? Quiet and unimposing was 
his first appearance. Only now and then, during his event- 
ful stay, was the veil lifted and his glory seen — "the glory 
as of the only-begotten of the Father." As a babe, he was 
born in poverty and nursed in exile; as a youth, he was 
the reputed son of a humble carpenter; as a man, he was 
the Nazarene, and finally, the Crucified! It will not be 
thus when he shall appear " the second time." He shall 
" come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him." 
Who can imagine that glory ? As though affrighted, the 
earth and the heavens will flee away. Whether, indeed, 
the whole material economy will be dissolved, we cannot 
say. It may be so. We know not what subtle affinities, 
moral as well as physical, may subsist between the different 
worlds which lie scattered through immensity. The crisis 
of our world may be the crisis of all worlds. The catas- 
trophe, however, may be comparatively limited. It may 
embrace only our planetary system, or it may be confined 
simply to our own orb. Even if the latter, as a sign of the 
Son of man, it will be to us none the less terrible. How 
can it detract from the awfulness of the scene to know that 
countless stars are holding their course, while our own is 



The Great White Throne. 



87 



rushing back into primeval night? Were the destruction 
ever so extensive, it could not impress us more deeply than 
the dissolution of our own sphere. O how " men's hearts 
will fail them for fear " when they shall see the mountains 
falling, the rocks rending, the seas evaporating, the proud- 
est works of man consuming, the whole globe, with all that 
pertains to it, sinking into nothingness ! 

3. From the Judge, with the dread circumstances which 
will mark his advent, let us now turn to consider the mul- 
titude that will be assembled at his tribunal. " I saw the 
dead, small and great, stand before God." 

"The dead!" What an assembly will that be! How 
many have already died! What countless throngs have 
been subjected to " the bondage of corruption ! " We think 
of the antediluvian world ; we think of nations now utterly 
extinct, every memorial of them perished ; we think of cit- 
ies which rose in pride and splendor, and whose streets re- 
sounded with the hum of business or the voice of pleasure, 
now in ruins — their stillness and solitude rarely invaded by 
a human footstep; we think of battle-fields, with their 
heaps of slain ; of cemeteries with their sculptured monu- 
ments and their nameless tombs ; of the graves which strew 
the surface of our earth, and over which we tread, little 
dreaming that underneath us is the dust of men. "The 
dead ! " But the word will embrace all who now live ; for 
"what man is he that liveth, and shall not see death ? " It 
will include every generation that will yet be called into 
existence. Even those who shall be alive at the coming of 
the Lord will undergo a change equivalent to death. O 
this mighty concourse! Imagiuation in vain attempts to 
conceive it. We may bring arithmetic to our help, but the 
mind refuses to keep pace with the swelling figures. The 
hosts of Xerxes, the battalions of Alexander, the legions 
of Csesar, the hordes of Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, are 



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but as specks in the vast assembly. " The dead, small and 
great" The infant, who faded like a vernal blossom; the 
man who went down to his grave in a full age, like a shock 
of corn which cometh in its season. " The dead, small and 
great!" All, irrespective of former distinctions, whether 
natural or conventional. It matters not what may have 
been our color, what our nationality, what our pedigree, 
what our position. The shivering Icelander, as well as the 
dweller in soft tropic isles ; the rude barbarian and the pol- 
ished sage ; the cowled monk and the resolute apostle ; the 
crafty politician and the unblemished patriot ; tyrants who 
made the earth to tremble, and captives who wept in exile 
and groaned under the oppressor's rod; rich and poor; 
mendicants and monarchs — all, all will stand before God. 

As though unable to withdraw his thoughts from the 
mighty multitude which he saw under such solemn circum- 
stances, the apostle, after describing the further proceedings 
of the judgment, returns to specify the sources which shall 
unite to make up the assembly. 

" The sea gave up the dead which were in it." Who has 
not sighed when reflecting on the ravages of the deep ? The 
sea has been styled " a hidden Golgotha." What millions 
have been ingulfed by its remorseless waves! What a 
thrilling tale is that of shipwreck! The storm, the mid- 
night crash upon unsuspected rocks ; the mad waves rush- 
ing in to take possession of their prey; the shrieks that 
rend the air ; the gurgling agony ; and then the lone black 
waste where an hour ago sped the noble vessel with her hu- 
man freight! Ah! and there are other tales of ocean's 
wrath : its inundations, when, leaping its ancient bounda- 
ries, or the barriers created by human art, it has over- 
whelmed cities, and spread death and desolation in its 
march ! Cruel, treacherous, insatiable as it is, its caverns 
shall be rifled of their spoil ; the sea shall give up its dead. 



The Great White Throne. 



89 



"And death and hell delivered up the dead which were 
in them." "Death" — a personification of the power of 
the grave, particularly as seen in the dry places of the 
earth. " Hell," or hades — the invisible world, the place of 
departed spirits, including the region of happiness as well 
as misery. These two are represented as twin keepers, 
throwing open the doors of their respective prison-houses, 
and surrendering the prisoners they have so long held in 
custody. There is no possibility, therefore, that of all the 
myriads who have trod our globe there will be one missing 
at the judgment. Willing or unwilling, they will make 
their appearance. The bars of the sea will be unloosed ; 
"the earth shall cast out the dead," and from bowers of 
bliss and from wastes of woe each disembodied spirit will 
haste to repossess its former tenement. " There is no dark- 
ness nor shadow of death whence the workers of iniquity 
may hide themselves." "We shall all stand before the 
judgment-seat of Christ." 

4. We will now consider, in conclusion, the process by 
which the destiny of this immense multitude will be deter- 
mined. " The books were opened ; and another book was 
opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged 
out of those things which were written in the books, ac- 
cording to their works." 

This may be the language of metaphor, but it indicates 
under earthly images, the exactness, the equity, which will 
distinguish the proceedings. It will be necessary, in the 
first place, for the Judge to have before him all the facts 
connected with each individual. And there will be the 
book of remembrance — his own omniscience. Long ago, 
in the days of his flesh, he gave proof of possessing this 
perfection. Saw he not Nathanael under the fig-tree? read 
he not the inmost thoughts of the Pharisee ? drew he not 
from his disciples the confession, "Now are we sure that 



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thou knowest all things t n From the infallible pages of 
his infinite memory he will derive the history of all who 
shall be summoned to answer at his bar. His knowledge 
of us will be perfect, extending not only to our acts, but 
also to our desires and purposes; not only to our words, but 
to our very thoughts and imaginations. " For God shall 
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, 
whether it be good, or whether it be evil!" Ah! little as 
some of you may think it, your whole life will meet you 
again at the judgment! I remember reading of an artist, 
who, in the late war between France and Germany, when 
the Communists were destroying the column in the Place 
de Vendome, took instantaneous views of the act. All the 
features of the guilty actors being present in the negative, 
they were brought to light by the use of the solar micro- 
scope, and the ruthless iconoclasts were recognized, brought 
to justice, and condemned through this instrumentality. 
Just so is our life being photographed by an invisible 
Agent, and its minutest details are destined to confront us 
at the bar of God. It is important that this testimony of 
the book of remembrance be corroborated; and for this 
there is the book of human memory. It is true that now 
memory is weak and unreliable. Much that we once knew 
we have forgotten ; there are names and scenes and circum- 
stances which we frequently strive in vain to recall ; but we 
must not conclude from this that any fact once entertained 
by the mind is ever obliterated. Persons who have nar- 
rowly escaped shipwreck have said that when the vessel 
struck the fatal rock their whole life stood up in sunlight 
before them." At the judgment, memory will be released 
from its present weakness. It will find itself in possession 
of every fact that once occupied the mind ; and its record 
will correspond precisely with the register of the Divine 
remembrance. 



The Great White Throne. 



91 



"And the books were opened." How shall the merit or 
demerit of the individuals composing this vast assembly be 
estimated? 

There will be the book of nature. From this volume all 
have been instructed ; it teaches the existence of God and 
" his eternal power and Godhead." Idolatry, or any want 
of reverence for the Deity, will be unsparingly condemned 
by this volume. 

There will be the book of the moral law. The substance 
of this law is universally known. Even where it has never 
been given in a written form it is found stamped on the hu- 
man heart ; conscience bearing witness of its requirements, 
and " accusing or else excusing," as its precepts are resisted 
or obeyed. This law will condemn every infraction of pure 
love, every divergence from that holy affection which 
should bind us to our Creator and to one another. Those 
hard thoughts of God which we sometimes cherish, that 
dislike of his ways which we sometimes manifest ; our ha- 
tred of our fellows, the injustice we practice toward them, 
the slightest unkindness we show them — all will be declared 
culpable by this exalted standard. 

There will be the book of the gospel. Said Christ to the 
scornful, impenitent hearer of his word : " The word that I 
have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." 
The gospel is the clearest revelation of the character of 
God and of our duty toward him with which mankind has 
ever been favored. In addition to this it tells of salvation ; 
it points out the way by which we may obtain the remis- 
sion of sins and justification at the last day. Neglect of 
its teachings, disobedience to its mandates, will fearfully 
augment the guilt of all to whom it has been proclaimed. 

"And the dead were judged out of those things which 
were written in the books." 

There will be some who had no more for their guidance 



92 Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



than the volume of nature and the moral law as learned 
from tradition and interpreted by conscience. There will 
be others who, in conjunction with the teachings of nature 
and the revelations of the moral law, enjoyed the clearer 
discoveries of the gospel. But whether it be the heathen 
or the Christian world, whether it be those who lived in 
the dim twilight of nature, or those who basked in the full- 
orbed splendor of the gospel, we are bold to say that none 
will be found who have fully met their responsibilities, be 
they great or small. "Every mouth will be stopped, and 
all the world guilty before God." 

Is there then no escape? Must the Judge launch his 
dread thunderbolts upon all, without exception? Must I, 
must you, perish? Blessed be God, there looms up . "a 
hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tem- 
pest!" 

" And another book was opened, which is the book of life" 
This book contains the names of the saved. The saved are 
those who at some point in their history began to serve 
God to the extent of their acquaintance with his will, and, 
though guilty of occasional obliquities, trusted in his mercy 
for forgiveness, and persevered in their attempt to please 
him. Of the saved will be many from heathen as well as 
from Christian lands. " They shall come from the east, 
and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, 
and shall sit down in the kingdom of God." "God is no 
respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth 
him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him." 

"And the dead were judged out of those things which 
were written in the books, according to their works." 

The works of all, the saved as well as the unsaved, will 
undergo inspection. In the case of the former, their 
works will be examined as the evidence of their faith, 
and as the measurement of their reward. It is faith, 



The Great White Throne. 



93 



trust in God, and God in Christ, when revealed — that se- 
cures a place in " the book of life." But this faith is a vi- 
tal principle, appropriating — consciously in the case of 
Christians, unconsciously in the case of the heathen — the 
grace which flows from the atonement of Christ, and dis- 
covering itself by works of righteousness. It will be ascer- 
tained how far we have demonstrated our faith by obedi- 
ence to the light with which we have been blessed. Then 
our works, as springing from faith, will be the basis of 
rewards. And here there will be discrimination and dis- 
tinction. "He that sowed bountifully shall reap bounti- 
fully; and he that sowed sparingly shall reap also spar- 
ingly." The works of the wicked will be also weighed as 
proving their want of faith, and determining the degree 
of their future punishment. Their unbelief will consign 
them to perdition ; but the evil deeds they have added to 
their unbelief will increase the severity of their doom. 
Says the apostle: " Despisest thou the riches of his good- 
ness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing 
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? but, 
after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up 
unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revela- 
tion of the righteous judgment of God." 

In conclusion. Remember that the decisions of the 
judgment will be final. There is no other court to which 
we can appeal ; this is the highest tribunal in the universe. 
"Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was 
cast into the lake of fire." From that lake there is no 
deliverance. Wide as may be its area, it is walled in by 
cliffs which afford no foothold for escape, and which are 
as strong and lasting as the Eternal God. "The breath 
of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it." 
Rescue is impossible. The strongest life-boat, though fash- 
ioned by angelic hands, would instantly be crushed by the 



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buffetings of those fiery waves. " This is the second death." 
God forbid that any of us should have our " part in the 
lake which burneth with fire and brimstone!" Be warned, 
O sinner, to repent! "Prepare to meet thy God!" "O 
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness ; fear before 
him ; for he cometh, he cometh to judge the world ! " 



SERMON VIII. 



The Eivee of Grace. 



" There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city 
of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High." (Ps. 
xlvi. 4.) 

OCRIPTURE abounds with figurative language as a 



kJ? well-watered garden with the tints of the rainbow, as 
the wave*-washed shore with variegated pebbles and shells, 
and as night's royal robe with gems more lustrous than gold. 
From first to last, from the God of Genesis to the Amen of 
the Apocalypse, waves this imaginative harvest. Stalkless 
spots indeed appear on the wide-extended plain, but they 
are as earth's famines — few and far between. They serve 
as resting-places for the bending reaper — termini where he 
may wipe his dripping brow, sharpen his sickle, and pre- 
pare for fresh labors and spoils. 

Apart from its divine origin and the transcendent im- 
portance of its subjects, we believe it is to its tropical lux- 
uriance that Scripture owes much of its ascendency over 
men. Free truth of any kind from the chains of error, 
apparel it in nature's " coat of many colors," and let it be 
devoid of the mere tinsel of an exuberant fancy — it is al- 
most sure to win the homage of the heart. 

Recognizing this fact, the inspired writers have made 
creation a vestment in which to infold their mighty revela- 
tions. Like the swan on some still lake, each thought 
"floats double." Do they speak of God? he is a sun and 
a shield; do they tell of his voice? it is the midnight thun- 
der, the din of cataracts, and ocean's warring waves; do 
they call attention to his mercies? they are firmer than the. 
everlasting hills, and more in number than the sand; do 
they distinguish his own elect? they flourish as a palm-tree, 




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and grow as a cedar in Lebanon. But leviathan tossing in 
the deep, the ostrich fleeing in the desert, the wild roe skip- 
ping on the hill-tops, the rose blossoming in Sharon, the 
lily drooping in the valley, the olive and the vine, the balm 
of Gilead and the dew of Hermon, the darkness and the 
day-spring — all nature, has been summoned to pour its 
streaming splendors on the Bible. The sea has given up 
its pearls ; the skies have contributed their stars ; from field 
and from forest, from mountain and from mead, earth has 
hasted with her tribute. What is the result? Why, the 
compelling even the infidel Rousseau to exclaim: "The 
majesty of Scripture strikes me with admiration! Peruse 
the works of our philosophers, with all their pomp and dic- 
tion, how contemptible are they when compared with Script- 
ure! Is it possible that a book at once so simple and sub- 
lime should be the work of man?" 

We deem these few remarks not inappropriate to the elu- 
cidation of the beautifully figurative language of the text. 
Here "the grace of God which bringeth salvation," and 
which "maketh glad" the Church, is likened to a river; 
and to trace wherein this analogy consists, gathering in- 
struction as we go, will be our object on this occasion. 

Without descending to minute particulars — which would 
tend rather to perplex than make perspicuous the subject — 
we remark, 

I. Grace, like a river, is small in its beginnings. 

Far up among the hills scarce trodden by the foot of 
man, and where the eagle, peering forth from her lone aerie, 
is empress of all that she surveys, the river generally takes 
its rise. Not, however, from one immense fount, but from 
innumerable little springs which, overflowing their mossy 
sides, trickle adown the rocks, sleep awhile in the caves, 
'then away to weep among the flowers and chant a requiem 
over buried stones, till, descrying each other in the distance, 



The River of Grace. 



97 



their mourning turns to joy, and with a song of rapture 
they leap into each other's arms. Sweet emblem of divine 
grace ! Scarcely perceptible when it first begins, but gath- 
ering fresh strength and momentum the farther it proceeds, 
it at length bursts from concealment, "and rejoiceth as 
a strong man to run a race." How feeble seemed the 
promise given to Eden's erring pair, but how gloriously it 
swelled and shone ere it reached Calvary! How choked 
with sin was Moses's pious course when he imbrued his 
hands in Egyptian blood, but how high it rose when it lift- 
ed him " on Nebo's lonely mount ! " How hid for a time 
was Peter's faith when, overcome by fear, he denied his 
Lord, but how bold and strong it had become when at last 
he reaped the crown of martyrdom! How many here 
can recall a period when they were but babes in Christ and 
seemingly walked in view of no great purpose, but now 
they feel that they have attained the stature of perfect men, 
and that none can stop them in their heaven-bound course ! 
In this respect divine grace is analogous to not only one but 
all of God's works. Gradual development is the law of nat- 
ure. Long before the sun has risen on the plain the peaks 
of the mountains gleam with a golden hue, and the clouds 
catch crimson in many an outstretched fold. The bud pre- 
cedes the blossom, and the blossom the bending berry. First 
the seed, next the blade, and then the ripening grain. Yon 
giant oak, which now waves proudly to the gale and bids 
defiance to the winter storm, was once the merest sapling 
which a laughing school-boy could have broken. And 
spring — balmy and beautiful time — rushes not upon us in 
an instant, but with footstep soft and slow she comes, each 
day adding fresh beauty to the gardens and new minstrels 
to the groves. 

Despair not then, my brother, because you are not so far 
advanced in grace as you may wish. Without doubt it is 



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costing you a terrible struggle to push your way along in 
the toilsome race and surmount the iron-ribbed rocks in- 
trenched so firmly in your path. Many a weary pause do 
you make ; often your hands hang down and your knees be- 
come feeble; but only press on, and you will "grow in 
grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ." Dews and showers from heaven will fall upon 
you; strength will come when least expected; your influ- 
ence will widen and deepen the farther you proceed ; men 
will gaze on you with wonder and delight; they will seek 
your society as parched travelers seek the refreshing stream ; 
and when compelled to leave you it will be with eyes which 
flash with a brighter hope, and a step which you have made 
stronger and more elastic for the pilgrimage of life. 

II. Grace, like a river, is devious in its course. 

No river darts directly to the sea. Numerous are its 
windings and courses. We have read of a tall eminence in 
the distant west on which the traveler may stand and see the 
river which glides beneath him, after a sweep of thirty miles, 
return to within a short distance of the same spot. More or 
less circuitous is each river in its route. Now it passes 
through the waving corn-fields, and soft summer breezes fan 
its heated bosom; now the shadows of dense forests fall up- 
on it, and its waters move in darkness and unbroken si- 
lence; now it emerges from its lone sepulcher, and rejoicing 
in the clear sunlight, betakes itself to the sweet valleys, 
whose very flowers seem to bid it welcome; now it mean- 
ders through some beautiful dell, whose trees on either side 
bend low to embrace and kiss it in its rapid flight ; now it 
roams through some vast plain teeming with the haunts of 
busy men, and till midnight gay voyagers gaze with de- 
light on the moonbeams mirrored in its placid depths; now 
morning breaks upon the bark it bore, and the river is in- 
gulfed in ocean! 



The River of Grace. 



99 



How distinct a portrait of divine grace! Regard we it 
as displayed in the stupendous scheme of redemption, how 
innumerable are the windings in its course ! Issuing from 
a lost paradise, it rolled on for centuries amid antediluvian 
darkness, and scarce a solitary eye beheld it. The dark- 
ness past, it was descried by Noah from the top of Ararat, 
flashing in the rainbow at his feet. Then Job caught sight 
of it in his desert home, and with a shout of triumph de- 
clared, "I know that my Redeemer liveth!" Then Abra- 
ham, in his far wanderings, " saw it and was glad." Then 
in Goshen, when Egyptian gloom was fast settling upon it, 
the hoary Jacob caught a glimpse of it and expired, satis- 
fied that "the scepter should not depart from Judah, nor a 
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come." In aft- 
er years David beheld it stealing through green pastures, 
and quaffing of its sparkling tide exclaimed, "Yea, though 
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will 
fear no evil ! " Isaiah met it when more than half its race 
was run, and with its destiny before him, lifted his voice 
and cried, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the 
waters ! " And Malachi, standing in the full blaze of the 
ocean of redeeming love, cheered the desponding hearts of 
coming generations with the promise, " Unto you that fear 
my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing 
in his wings." 

The same grace displayed in individual life is more or 
less circuitous. Take, for example, the history of Joseph 
— a meek, inoffensive lad, the idol of his gray-haired sire, 
he is sold into Egypt by his brutal brethren, and made the 
bondsman of Potiphar. Time rolls on, and he is rapidly 
acquiring the esteem and confidence of his master, and sees 
liberty about to dawn upon him. Alas! a circumstance 
now occurs which dooms him to prison, and overcasts his 
rising hopes with deep, impenetrable clouds. Thus, while 



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"the iron enters bis soul," he languishes for years. But at 
length deliverance comes, and soon he is arrayed in the 
costume of a prince, and in all Egypt there is none his su- 
perior save the king. " Remember David and all his afflic- 
tions." Proudly must his young heart have swelled within 
him as he saw the huge Philistine bow before his sling, and 
heard the heavens echo with the deafening shouts of his 
grateful and admiring countrymen. The path of honor 
and felicity now flashed before him, radiant as a sun-track. 
But scarcely is he exalted to a place in the king's palace, 
and hardly have the acclamations of Israel's applauding 
hosts died upon the breeze, than cruel envy seizes Saul's 
soul, and crushing every generous impulse, drives the gal- 
lant shepherd to his native hills. Deep is his downfall, and 
sad the eclipse which seems to settle on his fortune. But 
now a few bold spirits, won by his bravery and piercing 
through the clouds which envelop his destiny, swear allegi- 
ance to the hero, and follow in his train. For years, how- 
ever, he wanders in exile, with a price upon his head, and 
finds safety only in the caves of Idumea. And when, after 
Saul's death the throne is secured to David, and the out- 
lawed chief < becomes the acknowledged king, how is his 
glory tempered with gloom, and w T hat misfortunes does he 
meet with ere he falls asleep and is gathered to his fathers. 

For additional examples we need not go beyond this as- 
sembly. Child of God, how many windings have there 
been in your life? Ah ! you have been where the lightnings 
of affliction played around you and the hoarse thunder of 
the evil one shook the ground beneath you. You have 
passed through many a deep gorge of spiritual heaviness, 
where the shadow of surrounding rocks fell gloomily upon 
you; and you have been where "joy unspeakable" bloomed 
on every side, and where the light of heaven streamed full 
upon your face ; and blessed be God, you still press on with 



The River of Grace. 



101 



patience and hope, "counting not your own life dear to 
you, so that you may finish your course with joy." 

III. Grace, like a river, is open to all, without restriction or 
expense. 

Like its parent, the ocean, the river asks no toll. From 
its start among the mountains, till lost in the sea, its voice, 
whether heard in the sound of many waters or in the whis- 
per of the wave is, Come! See how the finny tribes sport 
upon its sides and chase the bubbles on its breast ; watch the 
bird from afar lighting on its banks and sipping its salubrious 
waters ; behold the tiger from his lair lapping in its sunny tide ; 
and listen to the music of the boatman's oars as they dash 
back its eager waves. Free as the river is the grace " which 
maketh glad the city of God." A voice is heard far and 
wide, bidding all men to its banks. To the Hottentot 
roaming, through the jungles of South Africa; to the Es- 
quimau skimming to his home on cold, snowy seas ; to the 
tawny tribes wandering through western wilds ; to the can- 
nibal hordes feasting on their fallen foes; ay, to one and 
all, whether Jew or Greek, barbarian or Scythian, "the 
Spirit and the Bride say, Come ; and whosoever will, let him 
take of the water of life freely." 

Ah, ye unconverted, your hearts might well leap for 
joy! Dark and depraved as you may be with passions in 
which rage the fires of hell, there is mercy for you; Christ 
has "come that you might have life, and that you might 
have it more abundantly." A herald of salvation, I am 
commissioned to invite you to partake of that living water ; 
"whoso drinketh thereof shall never thirst." Will you ac- 
cept the invitation? I pray you send me not away with 
the excuse that you are too unworthy so distinguished 
a privilege. Who is worthy? If Zaccheus, the false ac- 
cuser ; if Peter, who denied his Master thrice ; if Saul, the 
chief of sinners; if a million more as vile as they could 



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drink of this river, " how long halt ye between two opin- 
ions ?" 

But I fear that with many it is not a dread of being de- 
nied this living water, but an insensibility to its value, 
which keeps you from it. You do not doubt its freeness. 
Ever and anon the river sweeps by you in its course; its 
waters lave your very feet, and its rippling music falls upon 
your ears. The fault with you is that instead of quaffing 
of its copious stream, glad of an opportunity of showing 
your appreciation of Heaven's gift, you suffer yourselves to 
be attracted by the flowers which smile around you, and 
wander off in forbidden paths to rest beneath the shade of 
luxury and ease. 

O cease this folly ! Away to the river of the water of 
life! This is the river to drink abundantly of, which con- 
stitutes the heaven of the white-robed ones above. This is 
the river, one drop of which the parched tongue of Dives 
craves this night in hell. Of its clear, crystal waters you 
too must drink or perish likewise. Speed then, speed, to 
its brimming banks ! Pant for it as the hart after the wa- 
ter-brooks. Mock me not by telling me you do not need 
it. You may not seem to need it in the heyday of youth, 
with strength in your arm, hope in your heart, and sunny 
skies above you; but believe me, you will need it when you 
come to die. Then, like the traveler far out in the desert, 
his water spent and no oasis within reach, millions of money 
will be reckoned naught to obtain the desired draught. 

Thus did a choking wanderer in the desert cry: 
" O that Allah one prayer would grant me before I die, 
That I might stand up to my knees in a cool lake, 
My burning tongue and parching throat in it to slake." 

No lake he saw, and when they found him in the waste, 
A bag of gems and gold lay just before his face, 
And his dead hands a paper with this writing grasped : 
"Worthless was wealth when dying for water I gasped!" 



The River of Grace. 



103 



Take care, lest sinking down at last amid the desert of 
sin you long in vain for "the river, the streams whereof 
make glad the city of God/' and expire wailing forth the 
vanity of those earthly joys for whose sake you now im- 
peril your immortal soul ! 

IV. Grace, like a river, is subject to occasional overflows. 

The river does not always keep within its bounds. Swol- 
len by melting snows or by the torrents which pour down 
from watery skies, it now and then leaves its banks and 
spreads itself over the adjacent fields. In some regions 
these inundations, occurring periodically, are of the highest 
value. The rich deposit which is left by the water on sub- 
siding fertilizes the soil, and causes plants to bloom, and 
trees to flourish, and harvests to be reaped, where other- 
wise would be nothing but a dreary desolation. What 
would Egypt be without the annual overflow of the Nile? 
But for the river it would be un distinguishable from the 
surrounding desert. Were the waters to cease to rise and 
irrigate the soil, vegetation would wither and the whole land 
be speedily uninhabitable. 

The overflow of a river has its counterpart in the mani- 
festations of divine grace: There are seasons when it is 
communicated in more than ordinary measure. 

The stream that has been flowing quietly along, chanting 
its melody to the few trusting hearts that have taken root 
upon its fertile banks, suddenly begins to rise, and bursting 
through every restraint, sweeps over an entire community. 
O the rich blessings consequent on such an overflow! 
When the waves subside, and we look out on what had 
perhaps long been a moral wilderness, we see the blades of 
truth springing up on every side, and the flowers of holiness 
unfolding their hidden sweets, and the fruits of righteous- 
ness appearing on the vines and trees which had hitherto 
been barren of all good. Thanks be unto God for every 



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such overflow of his grace ! Would that we might now see 
such an overflow here! Would that while I speak the wa- 
ters might swell, and rise, and flow over this assembly! 
Would that the current might deepen and broaden until it 
should lave with its joyous tide the heart of every sinner in 
our midst ! " Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let 
the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and 
let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring 
up together.' 7 

V. Grace, like a river, finally returns to its native source. 

The source of the river is the ocean. The waters of the 
mighty deep, ascending in the form of vapor and borne in- 
land by the winds, are arrested by the mountain chains, 
whose lofty summits act as loadstones, condensing and 
drawing from them copious supplies of rain and snow. 
Percolating through the porous soil, and flowing along 
rocky fissures or veins of sand, the waters are conveyed to 
the fountains, whence they issue in sparkling rills, which 
coalescing constitute the streams, which after many a curve 
unite to make the rivers, which roll resistless to the sea. 
Of this operation of nature no more correct and beautiful 
description can be found than Solomon's : "All the rivers 
run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place 
from whence the rivers come, thither they return again." 
Thus it is with divine grace. It comes from, and it returns 
to, the bosom of God. Wise, then, are they who commit 
themselves to the guidance of the sacred stream. No dis- 
appointment can await them if they follow it trustfully to 
the end. Now indeed friends, like deceitful brooks, may 
forsake them ; but then what a brotherhood will greet them ! 
Now many pleasures, like summer sunshine, may be lost; 
but then what raptures will stream upon them ! Now gold 
and silver may be left behind; but then what countless 
treasures, scattered through immensity, will compensate^ 



The River of Grace. 



105 



their loss ! Now the vale of poverty and humiliation may- 
be their frequent portion; but then the past, transformed 
in the light of the glory to which it has conducted them, 
they will join exulting myriads in giving strength and 
sweetness to the song which will rise forever as the voice of 
many waters ! 
5 



SERMON IX. 

The Call of Matthew. 

"And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named 
Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom ; and he said unto him, Follow 
me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him." (Luke v. 27, 28.) 

\ \ I E # have here an account of the call of Matthew. It 
V V is interesting as the earliest notice of one who sub- 
sequently became an eminent apostle ; and it is instructive, 
too, as throwing light on the character of Christ, and the 
nature of that obedience which he exacts of his disciples. 
We take two points : 
I. The Call of Matthew. 

"And after these things he went forth, and saw a pub- 
lican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom ; and he 
said unto him, Follow me." 

1. We here notice the condescension of Christ. 

Matthew was " a publican" As such he was a despised 
person. The publicans, you know, were the collectors of 
the Roman taxes. The taxes were often onerous and op- 
pressive. To the Jews they were exceedingly obnoxious. 
They reminded them continually of their servile condition 
— that they were no longer an independent nation, but the 
subjects of a foreign power. The antipathy with which 
they regarded the payment of these taxes extended to all 
who were engaged in their collection. For a Jew to accept 
the office of tax-gatherer was considered infamous. It se- 
cured for him the undisguised hatred and contempt of his 
countrymen. No loyal Jew would eat or associate with 
him. No true daughter of Israel would stoop to an alli- 
ance with him. He was scorned and loathed as a traitor 
to his country and an enemy to his God. 



The Call of Matthew. 



107 



Such a person was Matthew. That he should be willing 
thus to brave the anger of his countrymen is easily ex- 
plained. You will find men in all lands who are willing 
to forfeit public esteem, and endure reproach and obloquy, 
if by so doing they can amass wealth or gain a livelihood 
at little trouble. Matthew, no doubt, was one of this class. 
It was his love of money, his desire for worldly prosperity, 
which induced him to accept this odious office. You see, 
then, in him, a hardened, covetous, degraded, and disrepu- 
table man. Sustaining such a character, what condescen- 
sion was it in Christ to go to him — this outcast, this de- 
praved man — and call him to his service. But this act 
was only in harmony with the whole of Christ's earthly 
life. From the time that he left his Father's throne to as- 
sume our nature, until in that same nature raised and glo- 
rified he ascended into heaven, each step in his career was 
characterized by the most wonderful condescension. He 
was born not of a mighty princess, but of an obscure vir- 
gin ; the place of his nativity was not a proud metropolis, 
but a humble village; his place of training was not the 
schools of the rabbis, nor the groves of the philosophers, 
but a carpenter's bench ; his chosen apostles were not men 
of rank and influence, but bronzed fishermen and unlet- 
tered peasants; he surrounded himself not with bannered 
armies, but with multitudes of the poor, the sick, and the 
distressed ; with an arm that could crush the universe, he 
permitted himself to be nailed to a tree; though Lord of 
life, he became obedient to death. 

As followers of Christ, we should imitate his condescen- 
sion to this publican. Says St. Paul : " Let this mind be 
in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the 
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, 
but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the 
form of a servant." Again he says: "Mind not high 



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things, but condescend to men of low estate." We are 
prone to despise and neglect those who are our inferiors in 
character or position. But such a disposition, such con- 
duct, we should carefully avoid. The wicked are to be 
pitied, however much we may hate their wickedness. The 
poor are to be sought out and helped, however much we 
may dislike their poverty. Bad as a man maybe — though 
a moral leper, under the ban of society, and hideous and 
repulsive as may be his circumstances, we are to seek to 
do him good, and especially to save him.' It is to our 
shame if w T e confine our zeal to the respectable and well-to- 
do members of a community. It is comparatively easy to 
go to the home upon which no slur has been cast, where 
the parlor is well furnished, and the fragrance of flowers 
and the song of birds come floating through the casement. 
It requires courage and love to go where there is dishonor, 
or where, perhaps, the children are ragged, and you can 
find hardly a chair to sit down on, and there is nothing 
pleasant to relieve the eye. But, like our Divine Master, 
we are to stoop that we may lift up the fallen and degrad- 
ed, and clothe them with righteousness like a garment. We 
are to go down into the depths of the ocean for pearls, as 
well as to climb to the slopes of the mountains for silver 
and gold. The bee seeks honey from the flowers whose 
bells hang downward and are hidden by the clustering 
leaves, as well as from those whose petals look upward and 
w r hose aspiring stems lift them into the blaze of the golden 
sun. The farmer does not abandon his land because it may 
be stony or sandy, if there is any possibility of reclaiming 
it. The difficulty of any work enhances its merit when 
achieved. I have stood by the great masterpieces of sculpt- 
ure, and admired the genius that could so deftly cut and 
polish the rough granite or marble into such shapes of 
beauty. And my brother, my sister, if you are but sue- 



The Call of Matthew. 



109 



cessful, under God, in chiseling one poor, rugged, fallen 
specimen of humanity into a resemblance to the Infinite, 
you will have wrought a work over which angels will re- 
joice, and which will evoke from Christ the words, " Well 
done!" 

2. The call of Matthew brings to view, in the next place, 
the authority of Christ. 

"And after these things he went forth, and saw a pub- 
lican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom; and he 
said unto him, Follow me." 

""Sitting at the receipt of custom" "Follow me." 

Had we been present, and known nothing of our Lord 
beyond the fact that he was a great Teacher, we might have 
thought his summons inopportune and arbitrary. The tax- 
gatherer was, in all likelihood, thronged. A noisy, jostling 
crowd was before him, impatient to transact their business. 
There were merchants from the caravans just arrived from 
Damascus ; and there were ship-owners who had come in 
from their traffic on the lake; there were artisans from 
their shops, and farmers and herdsmen from the neighbor- 
ing valleys and hills. Would it not have been better 
if the Master had waited until the publican was at lei- 
sure? Do not most men dislike to be interrupted when 
busy? Does it not often irritate them, and cause them to 
say words and be guilty of acts which, in quieter moments, 
they sincerely regret? By selecting this particular occa- 
sion, this unfavorable moment, does* not our Lord run the 
risk of a hasty and petulant rebuff? And now that, re- 
gardless of this, he addresses him, would it not be prudent 
in him to adopt a more conciliatory tone? Is he not too 
absolute and peremptory in his demand? Will not the 
publican look upon him as despotic, and resent it as an un- 
warrantable interference with his liberty ? But, whatever 
may be the issue, w r e observe no hesitancy on the part of 



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Christ. Marching right up through the throng, and fixing 
his calm eye on Matthew, he says to him, " Follow me." It 
was easy for Jesus to vindicate his course. He was not 
simply a man ; he was even greater than the greatest of 
prophets — he was the Son of the living God. As such, he 
was clothed with supreme and universal authority. He 
had a prior and inalienable right to Matthew's obedience. 
It was he who had given him " life, and breath, and all 
things." He was his Creator and Preserver. Unless he 
chose, he was under no obligation to waive or invite his 
discipleship. It was his prerogative to command. More- 
over, he knew that by following him Matthew would secure 
his best interests for time and for eternity. Mere earthly 
gain, however great, would be paltry compared with the 
riches of grace and glory to be enjoyed in his service. 
Then, Jesus had no time to await the publican's convenience. 
His ministry was brief, and his work of paramount impor- 
tance. Qesars business must stand aside when it came be- 
tween him and the salvation of souls. He can speak but a 
word to Matthew, and must then press on to preach the gos- 
pel to others. High above the babble of voices, and the 
ring of the Roman coin, the mandate is heard, "Fol- 
low me." 

The call of Matthew, " at the receipt of custom," is not 
without its application to ourselves. It teaches us that bus- 
* iness must be subordinated to religion; that the sphere of 
human toil must be under the control of Christ. You will 
find many who have no regard for Christ in their secular 
pursuits. They would shut him out from their employ- 
ments as completely as though he had no existence. They 
allow themselves to be governed by principles and maxims 
which, however plausible they may seem, are found on 
examination to be utterly opposed to the will of Christ. 
They will plead, perhaps, in extenuation of their course, 



The Call of Matthew. 



Ill 



that to follow any other would involve them in financial 
disaster and ruin. I know this, however, that whatever 
temporal losses or embarrassments they may escape by their 
disobedience, it is at the peril of their eternal welfare that 
they fail to follow Christ. Christ will be supreme in our 
business, or he will withhold from us his favor. He will 
be more to us than wealth or fame, or the wishes or needs 
of friends, or even life itself. "Follow me" is a command 
which extends to every department of life. Religion, like 
a sun, is to give center and bounds to the whole world of 
our being. Its authority is to be felt in the store, in the 
office, in the workshop, and in the field. It is to sit down 
at the sewing-machine; it is to ply hammer and plane; it 
is to supervise weights and measures; it is to seal every 
bargain ; it is to be with the driver in his wagon, with the 
watchman at his post, with the book-keeper at his desk, 
with the preacher in the pulpit, with the orator at the bar, 
with the judge on the bench, and with the politician in the 
halls of legislative assemblies; it is to keep the employe 
from frittering away in idleness his master's time; it is to 
restrain from guile and untruthfulness in trading ; it is to 
close the ledger on Saturday night, and not open it again 
until Monday morning; it is to find a plea for prayer be- 
fore going forth to labor ; it is to watch with care, lest by 
unnecessary overtaxing, mind and body are unfitted for 
the services of the sanctuary; it is to make the pursuit of 
gain in every possible way tributary to the development of 
a nobler character, and to the advancement of the cause of 
God. I grant that in some instances to govern our busi- 
ness by the precepts and spirit of Christ will entail the 
loss of money, but such a loss should be insufficient to se- 1 
duce or deter us from loyalty to his will. I believe, how- 
ever, that as a rule the men who conduct their business on 
Christian principles eventually succeed. Many of our rich- 



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est men have been men of spotless integrity. " Godliness 
is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that 
now is." But if wealth is withheld, if even poverty is to 
be endured in the path of rectitude, we should be content. 
A good conscience is far better than millions of gold. The 
smile of Christ is sweeter than the sight of broad acres and 
palatial residences. "A little that a righteous man hath is 
better than the riches of many wicked." There may be 
privation, but there is certain peace in obeying the com- 
mand, " Follow me." 

From the call of Matthew we proceed to consider, 

II. His Obedience. 

"And he left all, rose up, and followed him." 

1. His obedience was prompt. " He rose up." I do not 
suppose that Christ was altogether a stranger to Matthew. 
Our Lord had already attracted vast multitudes to his min- 
istry. It is quite likely that Matthew had heard some of 
his discourses, and witnessed some of his miracles. He had 
no doubt come to the conclusion that the New Teacher was 
the promised Messiah. Whether he had as yet recognized 
the divine character of Christ, we do not know. He must 
have regarded him at least as possessing divine inspiration, 
and as upheld by divine power. The earnest summons to 
repentance, which formed a part of Christ's preaching, must 
have sunk deep into the heart of Matthew. We imagine 
him already penitent. We imagine him dissatisfied with 
his past life, and aspiring to something better and more 
honorable. Perhaps he had begun to amend his ways. 
Though still retaining his office as publican, he may have 
renounced his covetousness. He may now have exacted no 
more than was just. But he was far from satisfied. His 
secret wish may have been to be one of Christ's disciples. 
What if he were to resign his office, and openly avow him- 
self a follower of the Nazarene? But would he be welcomed 



The Call of Matthew. 



113 



by the Master? Would he not be considered too low and 
disreputable for association with One so pure and stainless? 
He is undecided. But when Christ, who read his heart, 
approached him, and with his kind, firm voice, summoned 
him to his service, his indecision vanishes; "he left all, 
rose up, and followed him." 

Sinner, the Master still speaks. He calls you to-day. 
He is not a stranger to you ; you have heard of him all 
your life, and you know him to be " the Christ, the Son of 
the living God." You are familiar with his gracious words ; 
you have seen his mighty works — works of spiritual heal- 
ing, no less wonderful and God-like than the giving sight 
to the blind and speech to the dumb. He calls you to his 
service. Will you not at last be prompt? Like Matthew, 
will you not at once rise up and confess him as your Lord? 
How wise was Matthew in obeying promptly! Had he re- 
fused, Jesus might have passed on, and he might never 
have received another such a call; and, for aught you 
know, the present opportunity may be your last. Even 
had Matthew been subsequently converted, he would in all 
probability have missed the privilege of becoming an apos- 
tle. Jesus would have selected some one else to fill up the 
sacred college. Matthew might have, been saved; but he 
would not have been one of that glorious galaxy which 
now shine so resplendently in the moral firmament, and 
which will arrest the gaze of men to the end of time. By 
refusing to obey now, you may fail of an honorable posi- 
tion in the kingdom of God. O young man, if you decide 
for Christ to-day, he may elevate you to a post of responsi- 
bility and glorious usefulness in his Church. 

Two young men were accosted on the street of a large 
city, one Sunday afternoon, by a pious gentleman. He 
invited them to go to the Methodist Sunday-school. One 
agreed to attend the following Sunday. The other declined 
5* 



114 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



to make any promise. The one who went promptly was 
soon afterward converted, and became a minister. The 
other, though he at length came to the Sunday-school, 
came too late to be brought under the special religious in- 
fluences which had just been enjoyed, and was not convert- 
ed for years. Some years ago I called on the gentleman 
who had extended the invitation. As we stood on the 
green terrace in front of the school of which he was the 
principal, I alluded to his kindness that Sunday afternoon. 
He remembered the circumstance very distinctly, and re- 
marked: "I have often thought that had your friend decid- 
ed promptly, he too wo.uld have been a minister." 

Brethren, it is to our interest to obey Christ promptly; 
and not only so at the beginning, but through every stage 
of the Christian life. The various duties which devolve 
upon us are so many gracious opportunities for spiritual de- 
velopment, and for qualifying ourselves for rewards, if not 
in this life, in the life which is to come. To slight these 
opportunities, to let them slip by without improving them, 
will be to our permanent injury, even though we may be 
finally saved. I remember an apple-tree that stood near 
the parsonage at Marion. One summer it bore fruit, and 
when the fruit was about ripe it put forth fresh blossoms. 
Of course the blossoms did not bring fruit to perfection. 
Had they appeared promptly, at the proper time, the fruit 
would have matured, and the value of the tree would have 
been enhanced. So, if you are not prompt to obey Christ 
in all things, wherein we fail we lose opportunities of add- 
ing to our spiritual fruitfulness. We may afterward mourn 
our disobedience and pray earnestly for forgiveness, and 
resolve to do better; but our repentance cannot undo the 
past ; our sighs and tears are like blossoms out of season — 
sweet and fragrant, but not so delightful to God nor as 
honorable to ourselves as would have been the timely fruit 
of cheerful obedience. 



The Call of Matthew. 



115 



2. The obedience of Matthew was not only prompt but 
self-sacrificing. "He left all." 

/ His business was a lucrative one. And he was no doubt 
in comfortable, if not affluent, circumstances. We read of 
a great feast which he made in his own house immediately 
after resigning his office, at which a great many were pres- 
ent. But however much he may have valued them, oc- 
cupation, home, friends, were all renounced for the sake 
of Christ. So far as outward appearances went, he re- 
nounced a great deal. To the eye of the world, there was 
not much to be obtained from the New Prophet. It is true, 
he might be the Messiah, but it was evident he had little 
intention of establishing a secular kingdom. He did not 
speak and act* like a coming conqueror. Matthew might 
derive pious instruction from him, but nothing more. There 
were no worldly riches and honors to be gained from the 
Nazarene. But, unlike the men of the world, Matthew 
possessed faith ; and to the eye of faith, in its far-off glance, 
in leaving all for Christ, he was but leaving the muddy 
pool for the living stream, the gilded cage for the open 
heavens. He saw that he would gain at least present peace. 
He felt sure of a reward in the future that would infinitely 
surpass in value all he had sacrificed for Christ. Faith 
made it easy to follow Christ. The objects of sense seemed 
dwarfed and insignificant in the presence of those blessed 
and eternal realities which faith discerns. Matthew was 
as some traveler who has " looked upon a mountain scene 
where all the highest summits were wrapped in mist, and 
the lower hills looked mighty and majestic; until some 
puff of wind came and rolled up the curtain that had 
shrouded and hidden the icy pinnacles and peaks that 
were higher up ; and as that solemn white apocalypse rose 
and towered in the heavens, he forgot all about the green 
hills below, because his eye beheld the mighty summits 



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that live amongst the stars, and sparkle white through 
eternity." 

My unconverted friend, you too must deny self if you 
would be a disciple of Christ. It may not be necessary for 
you to forsake your employment, unless it be of a question- 
able character; but you must renounce every habit and 
interest which is opposed to Christ, though as dear to you 
as a right eye, or as indispensable as a right-hand. It may 
be fondness for cards, for the dance, or the wine-cup; it 
may be methods of conducting business, which, however 
successful, violate justice, and are at war with truth ; what- 
ever in your life is not in harmony with Christ and his will 
you must surrender for his sake. And have you not more 
than enough to encourage you to make this sacrifice? How 
much more clearly than Matthew do you discern the char- 
acter and work of Christ, and know the value of the re- 
wards he offers to his faithful followers. Matthew was like 
the enslaved Israelite, w ho had heard of Canaan amid the 
brick-kilns of Egypt ; you are like the emancipated Israel- 
ite who saw it from the mountain of Moab and the brink 
of Jordan. 

3. The obedience of Matthew was steadfast. "He fol- 
lowed him." 

Save in Gethsemane, where with the other disciples he 
fled in fear, we never read of his deserting Christ. He kept 
right on following him, through persecution, through oblo- 
quy, through imprisonment, and finally through death. 
As fellow-disciples we should emulate him in this respect. 
" We should be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding 
in the work of the Lord." Of course, if we fall, we should 
rise and run again. But this is not the best and noblest 
part. We should endeavor to be like the sun which never 
pauses, but shines more and more unto the perfect day. 
We should endeavor to be like the river which turns 



The Call of Matthew. 



117 



not back, but becomes deeper, grander, as it nears the 
sea. 

O Master, there are some here who have begun to follow 
thee! May we be faithful! may we never halt in the nar- 
row path, or cease to tread in thy blessed footsteps! may 
we follow thee withersoever thou leadest us! follow thee 
over the steep hills, where the sharp rocks wound our feet, 
as well as across the broad valleys all radiant with sum- 
mer flowers; follow thee through the deep waters where the 
surges roll, as well as along the margin of the streams that 
make music in their gentle flow; follow thee over the 
scorching desert where the sun beats hot, and there is no 
near fount to refresh our lips and no green strip to relieve 
our eye; follow thee through the last dark river, till, reach- 
ing the farther side, thou shalt turn round, and with heaven 
in thy beaming face, take our hand and lead us up through 
the gates into the eternal city! 



SERMON X. 

The Parable of the Unjust Steward. 

"And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, 
which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he 
had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How 
is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; 
for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said with- 
in himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the 
stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved 
what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may 
receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's 
debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou un- 
to my lord? And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And lie said 
unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 
Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, 
A hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy 
bill, and write four-score. And the lord commended the unjust stew- 
ard, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are 
in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say un- 
to you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteous- 
ness; that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting hab- 
itations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in 
much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If 
therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, 
who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not 
been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that 
which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either 
he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the 
one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 
And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: 
and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which 
justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for 
that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the 
sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John : since that 
time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into 



The Parable of the Unjust Steward, 



119 



it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of 
the law to fail. Whosoe ver putteth away his wife, and marrieth an- 
other, cornmitteth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put 
away from her husband cornmitteth adultery." (Luke xvi. 1-18.) 

TO "search the Scriptures" is the inalienable right and 
bounden duty of all who possess them. In this exer- 
cise, however, the greatest vigilance is necessary if we would 
"come to a knowledge of the truth." Particularly should 
we guard against interference from early and precipitate 
conclusions. It is common in youth to form opinions re- 
specting all the prominent passages of Scripture; but as in 
numerous instances these opinions are formed not by de- 
liberate study and reflection, but solely by giving credence 
to the assertions of others, it not unfrequently happens that 
they are more or less erroneous. When, therefore, we have 
resolved to examine personally any particular passage of 
Scripture, it is highly proper that we lay aside for the time 
all previous opinions respecting it, and endeavor to ascer- 
tain, with singleness of purpose, the teaching of inspiration, 
whatever that teaching may be. By adopting this precau- 
tion, there will be a greater probability of our arriving at 
the truth ; which done, should we find our former opinions 
coincident with the result of our present investigation, we 
shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we "have not 
followed a cunningly devised fable." 

In no instance is this precaution more necessary than in 
the examination of the parable before us. Here, for centu- 
ries, commentators have been laboring for a satisfactory so- 
lution as for a lost pearl ; but so many have professed to 
find it, and most of these have differed so widely in their 
relation of it, that it may well be questioned whether, in 
fact, it has ever been discovered. Indeed, many inquirers 
think it has not ; and some of these, disconcerted by the fu- 
tile efforts of the past, and dreading a like issue to any re- 
newed search which they might institute, have gone so far 



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as to pronounce the parable wholly unintelligible. This, 
however, is going much too far. We believe that the par- 
able admits of a solution, and that this solution is discover- 
able. We have the most implicit confidence in the accu- 
racy of St. Luke in recording this parable, and in the per- 
spicuity of the Saviour when delivering it. Moreover, we 
regard it as an integral part of that " Scripture which is 
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 
Different solutions should teach us caution, but not despair. 
The truth must be somewhere. Believing this, we shall 
seek it. Reason, not prejudice, shall guide us. Favorite 
opinions shall be held in abeyance. Our eye shall be sin- 
gle. The effort may prove but one more added to the 
many unsatisfactory efforts of the past. If so, it will soon 
be forgotten ; if not, it will not be despised by the lovers of 
Biblical truth, and will help in a measure to settle more 
firmly the foundations of our faith. 

Our first endeavor will be to ascertain the precise lesson 
which the parable was intended to convey. This, we think, 
will give the key to a satisfactory solution of the whole ; for 
as the parable was given to illustrate and enforce the les- 
son, all its parts must correspond with that lesson, whatever 
it may be. 

Many high authorities hold the lesson of the parable to 
be Christian prudence; and with this as their key they have 
arrived at the following solution: The steward, they say, 
showed a wise caution in the management of his temporal 
affairs, which, dishonest as he was, commended itself to his 
lord ; and such a caution, though not such a mode of man- 
ifesting it, Christ would have his people exhibit while en- 
gaged in his service. Like the steward who, while defraud- 
ing his lord, was prudent enough to secure for himself 
friends and a home when dismissed from his office, so we, 



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by a prudent use of the wealth we may possess, are to make 
to ourselves friends, that "when we fail" — a euphemistic 
expression meaning "when we die" — there may be a multi- 
tude to welcome us to everlasting habitations. 

But much as we esteem and venerate the authorities in 
question, we cannot concur with them in the view that pru- 
dence is the lesson inculcated. To such a view there are 
several objections. 

First, scrutinize we ever so closely the application which 
follows the parable, and in w T hich the lesson is undoubtedly 
contained, we can discover no allusion whatever to pru- 
dence. Faithfulness and justice are the only virtues men- 
tioned. "Faithful in the least, faithful also in much;" 
"unjust in the least, unjust also in much;" are among our 
Lord's observations in applying the parable; but not a 
word is uttered in reference to prudence. The authorities 
in question perceiving the difficulty, have labored to re- 
move it by showing that Christian prudence is faithfulness 
to God. This, in a certain qualified sense, we admit. One 
of the divine commands is that we "walk circumspectly;" 
and in our covenant relation we cannot disregard this com- 
mand without incurring the charge of unfaithfulness. But 
here it should be observed that it is not prudence itself, but 
the exercise of prudence in obedience to a command of God, 
that constitutes faithfulness. In this sense charity, as well 
as prudence, is faithfulness. Between prudence and faith- 
fulness, however, there is a manifest distinction. Prudence 
is a wise forecast for the future, faithfulness is the being 
true to our engagemennts with others. Any attempt, there- 
fore, to make the application enjoin a lesson on prudence, by 
confounding prudence with faithfulness, is inadmissible. 

The second objection is that prudence cannot be well em- 
ployed as the key to the solution of the parable. Now, 
with the true key all the parts of the parable will corre- 



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spond, as the parts of a lock, and their application to mor- 
al conduct will be without difficulty. But how they corre- 
spond with prudence, and how, without forcing, they may 
be made effective by it, we cannot perceive. 

That the steward's conduct in lowering the bills, and thus 
endeavoring to secure himself friends, is to be regarded as 
furnishing an example of prudence, which prudence is to 
be imitated by all true Christians in respect to the disposi- 
tion of their worldly substance, we cannot believe. For 
what is the test of prudence? Is it not success? But where 
was the success of the steward when, notwithstanding his 
scheme, his lord discovered the fraud ? But even granting 
that he had been able to deceive his lord, we are far from 
believing that the steward's act was prudent. Those who 
united with him in his villainy were unquestionably unjust 
men; and from what we know of such characters there was 
not a great probability of their befriending him when dis- 
missed from his office. Aware of his real character, they 
would rather keep him at a distance when powerless to as- 
sist them in further fraud. They would know that he could 
not inform on them for the share they had taken in his 
theft, as he would thereby implicate himself, and his lord 
had power to imprison, torment, and even sell him. True, it 
is stated in the parable that " the lord commended the unjust 
steward because he had done wisely" and from this statement 
the authorities in question argue that the steward must, as a 
matter of course, have exhibited prudence. But it seems to us 
that the commendation is to be understood as ironical. We 
cannot conceive that his lord, after finding his steward so 
grossly unfaithful, would feel like commending the course 
which had a tendency to beggar him. We think his lord 
appears like one rejoiced that he has his enemy in his power, 
and that there is no escape from his toils. It would be en- 
tirely unnatural for him to appear otherwise. And the beau- 



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ty and force of a parable depend on the characters acting 
in conformity with nature. Is it likely that you or I would 
commend a man for skillfully cheating us, especially when 
it was not the first offense ? I trow not. 

We think it is just here that the authorities in question have 
erred in their endeavor to ascertain the true lesson of the 
parable. Forgetting the fact that in the narrative we alto- 
gether miss the manner of our Lord's address, they have 
taken every word in its most literal signification, and find- 
ing it stated that "the lord commended the unjust steward 
because he had done wisely," they have without reflection 
sprung at once to the conclusion that prudence is the les- 
son taught. In support of the view that the commenda- 
tion of the steward's wisdom is to be regarded as ironical, 
there are other considerations besides those already men- 
tioned. Such an ironical use of language is not only nat- 
ural but common, and is to be found in all literature, sa- 
cred and profane. Moreover, irony is often employed with 
striking effect. As an instance, take our Lord's inquiries 
respecting John the Baptist, as recorded by St. Luke: 
"What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed 
shaken with the wind ? But what went ye out for to see ? 
A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are 
gorgeously appareled and live delicately are in kings' 
courts. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? 
Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet." 

In the parable before us the use of irony is peculiarly 
appropriate and natural. What could more deeply im- 
press us with the extreme folly of the steward's scheme than 
his being suddenly confronted by his injured lord, who in 
tones of irony " commends him because he has done wisely. 1 ' 

The words which follow bring to view the persons for 
w r hom the parable was specially intended, and were doubt- 
less delivered in the same ironical strain. "For the chil- 



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dren of this world are in their generation wiser than the 
children of light." Immediately around our Lord were his 
disciples and a throng of publicans and sinners. On the 
edge of this circle were the Pharisees, who were usually 
present on such occasions — not for the purpose of receiving 
instruction, but with the hope that the Great Teacher would 
say something on which they could base a charge of heresy 
or sedition. These Pharisees, though ostensibly pious, were 
essentially worldly. They lived only for the present; they 
gave to it their affections, and they sought their happiness 
in what it could bestow, especially in the way of honor and 
applause. They were "the children of this world," in con- 
tradistinction to the disciples, who were "the children of 
light." To these worldlings the conduct of the disciples in 
renouncing all for Christ appeared the profoundest folly. 
They could see nothing to be gained by thus publicly ac- 
knowledging their guilt and imperfection, and trusting for 
salvation to the doctrine and words of another. They 
were already in high repute among the people for superior 
sanctity. This repute they would maintain at all hazards^ 
"for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of 
God." It was, no doubt, what they thought a prudential 
regard for their reputation which led them to reject the 
baptism of John. It is stated that " all the people who 
heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized 
with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers 
rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not 
baptized of him." To place themselves on a level with the 
multitude, as sinners needing pardon and renewal, would, 
they feared, jeopardize their position in society, and per- 
haps forfeit that esteem, that adulation, to which they had 
been accustomed and of which they were so fond. No, 
they would rather violate conscience, they would rather, if 
necessary, lower the standard of morality, than forego "the 



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greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, 
Rabbi." Though thus supremely worldly, they neverthe- 
less entertained expectations of sharing in the glory and 
felicity of the future, overlooking the fact that they were 
making no suitable provision for the future, and that the 
allotments of eternity would be fixed, not by erring esti- 
mates of man, but by the strict and impartial judgment of 
a righteous God. Our Lord suddenly and ironically an- 
nounces to them the folly of their course, assuring them that, 
however much they might be esteemed by men, there was 
as little likelihood that the Omniscient would approve them 
as there was that a master would commend his steward when 
he had detected him in fraud. 

The injunction, "And I say unto you, Make to your- 
selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when 
ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations/ 7 
is also to be understood as ironical. Its apparent direction 
to use ill-gotten gain to secure everlasting happiness is so 
contrary to scriptural analogy, and to the revealed charac- 
ter of God, that every interpreter seeks, by some peculiar 
rendering of the w T ords, to give it a different signification. 
When once considered as ironical, however, all difficulty 
vanishes, the direction, as we shall see, is inserted with 
point, and we are saved the unsatisfactoriness of endeavor- 
ing to harmonize the passage with the rest of the Scriptures 
by departing from the plain sense of the words. 

The word "mammon" is from the Syriac, and denotes 
riches, gain, profit. As used in the New Testament it re- 
fers not simply to money, but to all that appeals to the de- 
praved heart — what is desired and coveted by "the lust of 
the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." In 
one sense the object desired may be wealth, in another pow- 
er, in another fame, in another sensual pleasure. The de- 
sire, indeed, may embrace all of these objects, and though 



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one may be chief, the others may be craved as accessory to 
its attainment. Thus, wealth may be desired, not only for 
its own sake, but for the sake of the honor and ease it se- 
cures. 

" The mammon of unrighteousness," by means of which the 
Pharisees were " making friends/' was not money, but usurped 
authority. Like the steward in the parable, the Pharisees 
occupied a responsible position — they "sat in Moses's seat;" 
in other words, were the recognized custodians and inter- 
preters of the law. Instead of upholding the authority of 
that law, they perfidiously lowered its demands for selfish 
ends. This they did by their "traditions" — oral commu- 
nications of purely human authority, but to which they at- 
tached an importance even superior to that of the written 
word. We might cite numerous instances of their unfaithful- 
ness as religious teachers. For example, the law inculcat- 
ed the widest and tenderest benevolence ; this they interpret- 
ed as referring solely to Jews, all other persons being regard- 
ed by them as aliens whom they were at liberty to despise at 
pleasure. The law required the strictest adherence to truth 
— their exposition was that an oath in which the name of 
God was not distinctly mentioned was not binding ; indeed, 
that a man might swear with his lips, and at the same time 
annul it in his heart. The law enjoined the exhibition of 
filial love and obedience — in their opinion all that a son 
who desired to evade the obligation of assisting his parents 
had to do was to say "Corban" over his property — to de- 
clare it consecrated, bound over to the Lord — and he was 
free. As might be supposed, the advocacy of such a sys- 
tem of casuistry was not without its reward : it rendered its 
upholders popular with the masses, who were only too glad 
to find a sanction in high places for the indulgence of their 
wickedness. It was the means of augmenting their worldly 
substance, affording them, in various ways and under the 



The Parable of the Unjust Steward. 



127 



cloak of an assumed piety, abundant opportunities for ex- 
tortion. Moreover, it enabled them to give unlimited li- 
cense to their own passions, a punctilious observance of rites 
and ceremonies being all that was necessary to commend 
them to the dulled conscience of a besotted nation. 

That our Lord, by the parable of the unjust steward, 
aimed a blow at these corrupt teachers, is evident from the 
closing remarks of his application. "The Pharisees also, 
who were covetous [greedy of gain, especially honor], heard 
all these things ; and they derided him. And he said unto 
them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men ; but 
God knoweth your hearts : for that which is highly esteemed 
among men is abomination in the sight of God. The law 
and the prophets were until John ? since that time the king- 
dom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 
And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle 
of the law to fail. Whosoever putteth away his wife, and 
marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whosoever 
marrieth her that is put away from her husband commit- 
teth adultery." Here he declares the perpetual obligation 
of the moral law, and specifies one of the many instances 
in which they had made it null by their unauthorized as- 
sumptions. From the circumstances of the divine institu- 
tion of marriage, from the express command connected 
therewith, it was evident that there was but one sufficient 
cause for divorce. The marriage bond was to continue in- 
dissoluble until death, save in this extreme case. Such, 
however, was the condition of the Israelites on coming out 
of Egypt, that Moses, in his capacity as civil legislator, suf- 
fered husbands to put away their wives for other causes 
than adultery. This was on account of "the hardness of 
their hearts/' he attempting to regulate, with an imperfect 
remedy, an evil which the obstinacy of national feeling 
would not allow to be at once repressed by a positive stat- 



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ute. A civil regulation, given to meet the exigences of 
the times, the Pharisees invested with all the force of a 
moral precept. They allowed a man to divorce his wife for 
the most trivial reasons. National licentiousness, in this 
respect, was the inevitable consequence. And this, they 
contended, was in accordance with the will of Heaven, 
while it was practically subversive of one of the divine 
commands. "I say unto you," said Christ with terrible 
irony, as he scanned the motives which prompted them to 
this course of action. "I say unto you, Make to yourselves 
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when ye 
fail, they may receive you into everlastiny habitations." 
The friends of the unfaithful steward — what home, what 
permanent refuge, could they give him when his lord dis- 
covered his treachery and appeared to punish him ? Go on 
in your chosen course; pervert the Scriptures; make void 
the moral law by your vain traditions ; win, by the mammon 
of unrighteousness, the power, the trust you have abused, 
gifts and a good name from a sensual and degraded people; 
but remember eternity, remember Him in whose hands are 
the destinies of eternity, and ask yourselves what will be 
your position then. No merely human distinctions will 
rise up to plead for you in the divine councils. No wealth, 
or position, or fame, to which you may fraudulently attain 
in this life, will secure to you an entrance into the eternal 
city. The rule of judgment will be: "He that is faith- 
ful in that which is least is faithful also in much ; and he 
that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." "If 
therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous 
mammon " — the office which has been confided to you, and 
which you have wrongfully and unscrupulously used for the 
advancement of your secular interests — "who will commit 
to your trust the true riches?" — the honors and glories of 
the skies. "And if ye have not been faithful in that which 



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is another man's" — a trust delegated to you, and in its nat- 
ure temporary — "who shall give you that which is your 
own?" — the heavenly inheritance which, once bestowed, 
will be a permanent possession. 

Such a rendering of these passages opens up, we think, 
the true lesson of the parable. It is not prudence, but fi- 
delity — fidelity in respect to the trust with which God has hon- 
ored us. And is not this the lesson we should naturally ex- 
pect from the story of a master and his steward ? Says St. 
Paul: "Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be 
found faithful." This lesson, as we shall see, gives unity 
and consistency to the parable; adds force to the remark, 
"Faithful in the least, faithful also in much;" and wings 
the arrow of the moral to its mark — "Ye cannot serve God 
and mammon." 

Having found, as we believe, the true key to the parable, 
let us now see how its various parts correspond with it, and 
how they would be made effective by it. 

First, the correspondence. There was a certain rich man 
who had a steward to whom he intrusted his goods. The 
steward, however, proved unfaithful, and in the course of 
time some one accused him to his lord. His lord, anxious 
and alarmed, summoned him to his presence, acquainted 
him with the charge, and demanded an inspection of the 
books, that he might know whether to continue him in 
office. The steward departed, and apprehensive that his 
guilt would be detected, and dreading the consequences 
that would follow, began seriously to ponder how lie could 
remedy his folly. "What shall I do?" he said, "for my 
lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig." 
He had long lived a life of ease, and if dismissed from his 
present employment would be unable to earn a livelihood 
by hard manual labor. " To beg I am ashamed." His office 
had been one of dignity and authority, and pride shrunk 



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from assuming the position of a mendicant. To have frank- 
ly confessed his fraud, and to have thrown himself on the 
mercy of his injured lord, would have been his wisest course. 
Had he done so, the result might have been similar to that 
elsewhere described by our Lord : "And when the king be- 
gan to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him 
ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, 
his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and chil- 
dren, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The 
servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, 
Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then 
the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and 
loosed him, and forgave him the debt/' The steward, how- 
ever, had no lofty conception of duty, and was too selfish to 
consider what repentance and amendment might do with 
his master. At last he resolves on a plan by which he will 
extricate himself from his difficulty. He will conspire 
with his lord's debtors to lower their bills, which will ena- 
ble him, perhaps, to present a satisfactory balance-sheet, 
and if not, will secure to him friends when ejected from 
office. The plan is no sooner formed than it is carried into 
effect. Calling the debtors together he inquires of the first, 
u How much owest thou my lord? and he said, A hundred 
measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and 
sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, 
And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred 
measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, 
and write four-score." Aud thus he proceeds to lower the 
bill of "every one of his lord's debtors." Really a shrewd 
plan! So the steward thought. But he has "reckoned 
without his host." In some way his lord is apprised of his 
further unfaithfulness. Quite likely one of the debtors, 
more honest than the rest, felt constrained to inform him of 
the nefarious transaction. To the steward's surprise, his 



The Parable of the Unjust Steward. 



131 



lord suddenly confronts him. He is now not simply indig- 
nant, but there is a gleam in his eye before which the stew- 
ard turns pale. With ironical emphasis he commends him 
for his wisdom. He feels that he has the villain in his 
clutches, and can afford to play with him a moment, as a 
lion with his prey. It is easy to paraphrase his commen- 
dation : " O man, it was wise in thee to avoid labor, for full 
well thou knowest that if thine account be unsatisfactory 
there was no one who can sell thee to make up the deficien- 
cy. It was wise in thee to avoid beggary, for full well thou 
knowest that if thy delinquency be proved there is no one 
who can imprison thee till thou hast paid the uttermost 
farthing. It was wise in thee to join Jiand in hand with 
knaves, and doubtless they will brave my anger and shelter 
thee, now that I reckon with thee. Fool ! thy doom is 
sealed." 

Now, we think the correspondence is exact. There is no 
need that we strain any of the parts of the parable to make 
them fit the lesson ; all are in unison with it. 

We shall now see how the parable, as illustrative of the 
folly of unfaithfulness, is turned to spiritual instruction. 

The rich man represents Jehovah, to whom pertains uni- 
versal authority. The steward, in his position of responsi- 
bility and trust, represents the Pharisees, who as religious 
teachers, were "stewards of the mysteries of God." The 
fraudulent career of the steward portrays the history of 
that sect, their uniform endeavor being the aggrandizement 
of self, even at the expense of righteousness and truth. 
The threat of dismissal may refer to the ministry of the 
Baptist, arousing them to a sense of their unfaithfulness, 
and warning them of the speedy termination of their pow- 
er. The lowering of the bills marks still greater perfidy on 
the part of the Pharisees, their determination being taken 
to make friends of the people by sanctioning their sins, so 



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that in the event of their overthrow as the dominant eccle- 
siastical body of the nation, they would still have influence 
sufficient to command that adulation, and those opportuni- 
ties for worldly emolument they so insatiably coveted. The 
sudden appearance of the indignant master, and his iron- 
ical commendation of the steward, point to the judgment 
which these Pharisees seem to have forgotten, and to the 
awful punishment which awaited their unfaithfulness. 

The parable thus understood is not without its lesson for 
our times. To the Church collectively, to every denomina- 
tion of professed Christians, to each minor society of be- 
lievers, it stands forth a light-house of guidance and warn- 
ing. Our position in the world is one of solemn moment 
and vast responsibility. To us has been intrusted the mor- 
al culture of humanity, and the ingathering of that reve- 
nue of glory which is Jehovah's due. As faithful stewards, 
as loyal vice-regents, we are to "shun not to declare the 
whole counsel of God." We are to " preach the word, be 
instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, 
with all long-suffering and doctrine." The lofty end we are 
to propose is, "that we may present every man perfect in 
Christ Jesus." It is by no means easy to fulfill our trust ; 
it is sailing against wind and wave; it is toiling up steeps 
precipitous and perilous. Often the more scrupulously 
faithful we are in- the discharge of our duties, the intenser 
hatred we shall enkindle in the hearts of the unconverted. 
For there are times when men " will not endure sound doc- 
trine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to them- 
selves teachers having itching ears." It is then that our 
fidelity is tried. We are tempted to lower the demands of 
Christianity, to dilute the truth, to suit the taste and to win 
the favor of the world. Alas! there are organized bodies 
naming the name of Christ, there are individual Churches, 
which pervert the Scriptures, and relax the claims of the 



The Parable of the Unjust Steward. 



133 



moral law, to render themselves popular with men. " These 
are the Churches for us!" is the cry of careless, impenitent 
sinners. " They tell us nothing that grates on our ears, and 
we can hold our membership there and do as we list." O the 
folly of these unfaithful stewards ! They "make to themselves 
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness ; " they barter truth 
and honor, heart and conscience, for wealth and power and the 
applause of the unholy; but the withering glance of the Om- 
niscient is upon them, and the day approaches when he shall 
consign them to the punishment they deserve. This sug- 
gests an important question — What is the conduct of our 
own Church? the Church of Wesley and Asbury, of Coke 
and McKendree. Is she true to her first love? Is she 
faithful to her bridal vows? O the wondrous part that was 
hers when, clad in divine beauty and leaning on divine 
strength, she went forth to reclaim the nations ! Righteous- 
ness followed in her steps, and tributes of thanksgiving as- 
cended to the Lord. Is she faithful? Sounds she forth the 
truth as sincerely, as fearlessly as ever? Insists she on ho- 
liness of heart and life by counsel and discipline, as of old, 
though rich men forsake her and timid men tremble for 
her? Alas! there is reason for humiliation and repentance 
and prayer. We are not as faithful as we should be; there 
are signs of remisness among us like dark specks in a sum- 
mer sky. God forbid that they should increase! for with 
the gathering cloud will assuredly come the lightnings, and 
the tempest, and the thunder of deserved wrath ! 

Fidelity — let this, brethren, be our watch-word. What 
though we should become the national Church of this broad 
land ; what though we should be able to point to stately 
edifices and towering spires without number ; what though 
wealth and fashion, rank and learning, should come troop- 
ing to our shrines ; unfaithful — lowering the laws of Christ, 
gaining popularity at the expense of principle, the winged 



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curse of the Almighty would pursue us, and the talons of 
his wrath eventually rend us. Far better to be few in 
numbers, and poor in outward attractions, than disloyal to 
duty, untrue to doctrine and discipline. God's covenant is 
with the faithful Church. "No weapon that is formed 
against her shall prosper ; and every tongue that shall rise 
against her in judgment, thou shalt condemn." And 
sooner or later she shall triumph — triumph! I say. The 
promise is hers: "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Fa- 
ther's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." 

The parable is not without its lesson to the individual 
believer. My brother, in assuming the name you profess 
and the livery you wear, you pledged inviolable fidelity to 
Christ. You are to be a living representation of the truth 
and power of his religion. His laws are to regulate your 
thoughts, your words, your desires, your pursuits, your en- 
tire life. Your fidelity will be sorely tried. Worldly pol- 
icy will court you with its smiles ; passion will prompt you 
to turn aside from the narrow path ; imagination will daz- 
zle you with its visions of embowered evil. O how many 
have been seduced from their integrity! The love of the 
world has usurped the love of God, and forgetful of their 
vows, recreant to their position, they have chosen evil, and 
reaped the wages of unending death. Shun the folly of 
these unfaithful stewards ; be firm in your allegiance to the 
King of kings ; cleave to truth, to principle, to duty ; lower 
not, by your example, the standard of religion. Rather 
"let your light so shine before men, that they may see your 
good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 
"Be thou faithful unto death," says Christ, "and I will 
give thee a crown of life." A crown of life ! The highest 
physical, the highest intellectual, the highest moral life ! 

"Who, then, is that faithful and wise steward? Blessed 
is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find 
so doing." 



SERMON XI. 

The Way to Zion. 

"And a highway shall be. there, and a way, and it shall be called 
The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall 
be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 
No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, 
it shall not be found there ; but the redeemed shall walk there: and~ 
the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs 
and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and 
gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isa. xxxv. 8-10.) 

ISAIAH has been styled "the evangelical prophet." To 
him, more than to any others of the ancient seers, was 
it given to describe the glory and blessedness of Messiah's 
kingdom. Reading some of his prophecies, we could al- 
most imagine him to have been an eye-witness of the events 
which he predicts, instead of living more than six centu- 
ries prior to the occurrence. We have always wondered 
that the Jews could peruse his writings and continue in un- 
belief. That the Messiah should suffer, and that the Gen. 
tiles should be summoned to participate in all the benefits 
of his kingdom — the two facts most repugnant to Jewish 
pride — are here distinctly foreshown. The Jews, in their 
present condition, are not only a monument of Divine 
wrath, but an illustration of the power of prejudice to 
darken the understanding and to pervert the judgment. 
"In them," as said the Saviour (and his words are as ap- 
plicable now as then), is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, 
which saith : " By hearing ye shall hear and shall not un- 
derstand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive; 
for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are 
dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed ; lest at any 



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time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their 
ears, and should understand with their heart, and should 
be converted, and I should heal them." 

We have in our text one of the noblest and most consol- 
atory of Isaiah's prophecies respecting the kingdom of 
Christ. It brings to view, under images at once simple 
and sublime, its leading characteristics — in other words, 
the distinctive features of the Christian religion. 

I. Its Unexchisiveness. "A highway shall be there." 

There is here an allusion to those public ways which 
kings were wont "to construct for the convenience and safety 
of their realms. These roads connected the capital with 
the extremities of the kingdom. Their construction often 
necessitated immense labor and vast expense. They crossed 
rivers ; they skirted the sea ; they wound their way through 
rugged mountains; they traversed the barren plain. The 
Appian Way, which was one of the most celebrated, was 
three hundred and fifty miles long. It was formed of hard 
stones, squared and cemented together, and was so strong 
that it remained entire for many hundred years. The re- 
ligion of Christ is compared to such a way. It connects 
earth with heaven. It leads from the remote and exposed 
part of God's empire to his great metropolis, the New Je- 
rusalem. The road has been built at an expense which no 
finite mind can compute. It called for an expenditure of 
love and labor which will be a theme of amazement to men 
and angels throughout the ages of eternity. The road had 
to find a foundation in the deep marshes of human deprav- 
ity and weakness. It had to protect itself from the effac- 
ing sands of human indifference ; it had to pass along the 
margin of the stormy sea of human affliction; it had to 
span the river of death ; it had to bridge over the black 
and bottomless abyss of hell; and it had to find a passage 
through the flaming mountains of Divine justice, ere it could 



The Way to Zion. 137 

terminate in "the city of the Great King." But our Sov- 
ereign has completed it. There it stands, the grandest 
achievement in the universe; built of stones hewn from the 
inexhaustible quarries of Infinite Wisdom, cemented by the 
precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to last "as 
long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all genera- 
tions." As a " highway," it is free for all. To walk there 
is not the privilege of some to the exclusion of the rest. No 
class can claim a monopoly of the religion of Christ. Its 
blessings are offered to all without exception. The com- 
mission of the Saviour to his disciples was, " Go ye into all 
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." 
Christianity is not limited by national distinctions. The 
Gentile as well as the Jew, the savage New Zealander as 
well as the cultivated European, the dwellers in the tropics 
and the inhabitants of the poles, each and all through Jesus 
may be saved. Christianity is not limited by social dis- 
tinctions. There are many inequalities in the surface of 
our globe — there are lofty hills and secluded vales — but to 
the inhabitant of a distant planet it seems but a rounded 
star; so dwindle the differences created by rank and fort- 
une to the eye of Christianity. Here is a prince, there is 
a peasant; the one has his home in a splendid palace, the 
other in a dismal cabin ; the one is clad in gorgeous apparel, 
and fares sumptuously every day; the other is often in rags, 
and is glad of the coarsest fare ; the one, dying, shakes a 
whole nation as a storm the sea ; the other, sinking into the 
grave, moves the great world no more than the falling of a 
leaf. What a contrast in their outward condition ! But 
the gospel treats them as alike sinners, and offers salvation 
to both upon precisely the same terms. It says to the 
prince, " Believe, and thou shalt be saved ; " of the peasant 
it asks no more. Christianity is not limited by intellectual 
difference. Not only the refined scholar, but the unlettered 
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boor; not only the man of genius, but the child who has 
just begun to comprehend his wants, may enjoy " the salva- 
tion which is by Jesus Christ." Christianity is not limited 
by moral difference. None are excluded from the bless- 
ings of the gospel because of their iniquities. The greatest 
sinner is welcome to come and be saved from his sins. 
Says St. Paul : " This is a faithful saying and worthy of all 
acceptation, that Christ- Jesus came into the world to save 
sinners, of whom I am chief." O how many who were 
once among the vilest of sinners have trodden this " new 
and living way!" We might instance Manasseh, with feet 
that were once red with the blood of saints; Zaccheus, 
whose hands were sullied with the wages of unrighteous- 
ness; many who joined in that fearful cry, "Crucify him! 
crucify him ! " The sorcerer of Ephesus, the idolaters of 
Galatea, the voluptuaries of Corinth — all may come, "for 
there is no difference; for the same Lord over all is rich 
unto all that call upon him ; for whosoever shall call upon 
the name of the Lord shall be saved." 

The next feature of the Christian religion to be consid- 
ered is, 

II Its Purity. "A highway shall be there, and a way ; 
and it shall be called the way of holiness." 

Public roads are named, and these names are derived 
from various circumstances. A road is sometimes named 
in honor of its builder. As the work of God, Christianity 
may well be termed " The way of holiness ; " for holiness is 
one of his essential attributes, and he is revealed to us as 
"glorious in holiness." A road may receive its name from 
the materials of which it is constructed. And on this ac- 
count, too, Christianity may very properly be denominated 
"The way of holiness," because all that enters into its 
structure, from the least precept to the noblest promise, is 
without blemish. Saints who have traveled over the 



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139 



whole of this way, and now unite in swelling the songs of 
the heavenly city, cry: ' ' Great and marvelous are thy 
works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, 
thou King of saints!" Infidels who have never walked in 
the way, but have examined with critical eye its founda- 
tions, have never detected a real flaw. A road may be 
named because of the place to which it leads ; and for this 
reason, also, Christianity is rightly called "The way of ho- 
liness," because it conducts to heaven, which is preeminently 
"the holy place." The name of a road distinguishes it from 
other roads leading in a different direction; and as "The 
way of holiness," the religion of Christ is distinguished from 
all other religions that may claim the attention of man. It 
is the way to heaven. " Neither is there salvation in any 
other; for there is none other name under heaven given 
among men whereby we must be saved." Other roads may 
stretch out beneath a sky of stainless blue, and pass through 
scenes of beauty and fragrance, but they are ways of sin, 
and followed they terminate in an enemy's land — they lead 
to the depths of hell. To walk a highway is to commit 
oneself to it with the view of reaching some definite point ; 
and, to avail ourselves of the religion of Christ, which is 
"The way of holiness," is to use it as the means of enabling 
us to reach heaven. This, in the nature of things, implies 
a renunciation of sin, and a surrender to holiness. Appro- 
priating and utilizing the Christian religion, we are neces- 
sarily partakers of its benefits. We become holy. If dil- 
igent, we increase in holiness. Step by step, day by day, 
year by year, we advance in purity as we go forward to the 
city of God. It is said of " The way of holiness," " The 
unclean shall not pass over it." This is not so much a 
prohibition as the statement of an impossibility. To walk 
in the way of holiness involves an abandonment of other 
ways, and when this is done, the unclean become the clean. 



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And so, while it is said, Ci The unclean shall not pass over 
it," it is added, " but it shall be for those." They have 
only to forsake their evil ways to find themselves upon "the 
path of life," and each onward step will bring them nearer 
the place where there is " fullness of joy" and " pleasures 
for evermore." 

The next feature of the Christian religion to be consid- 
ered is, 

III. Its Simplicity. "The wayfaring men, though fools, 
shall not err therein." 

Some roads are difficult to keep. The traveler may be 
anxious to follow them, but they are so winding, and 
crossed by so many other paths, and here and there so faint, 
as often to bewilder him, and cause him, in spite of the ut- 
most care, to go astray. It is customary, however, to pro- 
vide public roads of importance with such aids as shall en- 
able the traveler to pursue his course without any danger 
of missing it. At intricate points way-marks are erected 
to inform him of the route which will conduct him to a cer- 
tain place. It is thus with the Christian religion. A man 
who is in earnest to do God's will and reach the skies, will 
never err for want of sufficient guidance. Says David: 
" The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth under- 
standing unto the simple." The Bible contains ample in- 
formation on every point relative to our duty. It is ever 
on hand, and capable of directing us in the most difficult 
and dangerous paths of our pilgrimage. In the night of 
trouble, when the clouds hang low, and the thick rain- 
drops descend, and the wind howls mournfully around us, 
it is " a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path." In 
the moment of temptation, when broader, smoother, and 
more flowery paths invite our tired feet, it is a finger-post 
pointing to the perhaps barren path, and saying: "This is 
the way ; walk ye in it." If we turn aside and perish, it 



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141 



will not be because the Bible was inadequate to direct us, 
but because we refused to be governed by its teachings. 

The next feature of the Christian religion to be consid- 
ered is, 

IV. Its Safety. "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous 
beast shall go up thereon; it shall not be found there." 

Wild beasts infest many of the highways of the East. 
Crouched in some thicket, they leap upon the unwary trav- 
eler and speedily devour him. He may have just caught 
a far-off glimpse of the palm-groves beneath whose shade 
it was his hope to rest; the thought of the welcome which 
awaited him may have put fresh fleetness into his tired 
feet; but suddenly, with a rear and a bound, the lion is 
upon him, and his blood crimsons the white sand. Of the 
paths to happiness with which this world abounds, all are 
strewed with dangers, and end in disappointment, save 
" The way of holiness." The pilgrim who enters and pur- 
sues this path cannot fail to reach his destination. He will 
be "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, 
ready to be revealed in the last time." Evils may surround 
him ; their dark, menacing forms may rise here and there 
in close proximity to his path ; but so long as he proceeds, 
and swerves neither to the right-hand nor to the left, they 
cannot inflict on him any real injury, or even delay him on 
his journey. Poverty may open its fierce maw and threat- 
en to devour him, but, moving on in the path of obedi- 
ence, he finds that it is powerless to harm him. Slander 
may lift up its voice and shake the very foundations of 
his feet, but, pressing forward in obedience to the com- 
mands of God, he can bid defiance to " the cruel and de- 
vouring tongue." Death may come up like " a lion from 
the swelling of Jordan," and a stranger may appear in the 
person of " our adversary the devil," but, " pondering the. 
path of his feet," and keeping close to " the Eock of ages," 



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the Christian traveler can survey them with undaunted 
mien, and passing them, enter with a shout of triumph the 
city of eternal light. How exultant was St. ' Paul when 
contemplating the security afforded by the plan of redemp- 
tion ! " What/' he asks, " shall we say to these things? If 
God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate 
us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, 
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 
Nay; in all these things we are more than conquerors 
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that 
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor 
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, 
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able [of them- 
selves] to separate us from the love of God, which is in 
Christ Jesus our Lord." 

The last feature of the Christian religion to be consid- 
ered is, 

V. The Felicity. "And the ransomed of the Lord shall 
return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon 
their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow 
and sighing shall flee away." 

It is not to be understood from this that there are to be 
no trials in the way to heaven. The path, in many places, 
is scorched and barren, and there is many an event to 
bring the tear-drop to the traveler's eye. But there are 
such pleasant memories to soothe the mind, and such rich 
consolations at hand in every time of need, and such a 
blessed prospect at the end of the journey, as more than 
make amends for the sufferings to be endured, and cause 
the tongue to ripple forth in song in the dreariest part of 
the way. Christians are " the ransomed of the Lord." 
They were once the captives of Satan ; but their prison- 
doors have been opened, their fetters broken, and their 
bowed forms brought forth into the light and liberty of the 



The Way to Zion. 



143 



sons of God. And is it not enough to fill their hearts with 
gladness and their mouths with laughter to know that they 
have escaped the iron bondage of the prince of darkness, 
and feel no more the weight of his oppressive claims? As 
they journey forward they find that provision has been 
made for their sustenance and comfort; and though now 
and then they are tempted to distrust the care of their 
Heavenly Father, yet, continuing steadfast in his ways, 
they soon find relief — " with joy they draw water from the 
wells of salvation," and are privileged to rest beneath " the 
plant of renown," whose far-spreading boughs are a covert 
from the heat, and whose richly laden " fruit is sweet to 
their taste." And then, with each onward step their glance 
grows brighter; for they think how soon the pilgrimage 
will be over, and how at last, having climbed some toil- 
some steep, there will burst upon them in the fullness of its 
splendor the celestial city, with its many mansions and its 
rejoicing multitudes. Yes, the hills may be rough, and oft 
wearisome to the climber's foot ; the valleys may be dark, 
and may now and then resound with the roar of the raven- 
ous lion ; the rivers may be deep, and their black waves 
may rage and fling up their foam to the very edge of the 
way of life, but, triumphant over all, " the ransomed of the 
Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and ever- 
lasting joy upon their heads." " Crowned with loving- 
kindness and tender mercies" — the amaranthine leaves 
which deck the brow of every pilgrim to the heavenly Je- 
rusalem — " they go from strength to strength," gladdening 
the night with their holy melodies, and making the day 
musical with their psalms of praise. They sing amid the 
wild gorges of sickness and bereavement; they sing amid 
the desolate wastes and sirocco blasts of poverty and perse- 
cution ; they sing amid the deepening shadows and surging 
billows of death. Death cannot hush their song; it rises 



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and rolls in through the gates of pearl ; it flows on like a 
swelling stream through the ages of eternity. No grief 
will mar its sweetness, no sin will check its volume in the 
world to come. "They shall obtain joy and gladness, and 
sorrow and sighing shall flee away." 

Such, then, is the religion of Jesus Christ. It is unex- 
clusive; it is pure; it is simple, and it gives security and 
happiness to all who embrace and resolutely cleave to it. 
Thank God for providing such a way! Strange it is that 
any can refuse to enter and walk in the way. It is the 
way from sin and misery; it is the way to eternal life. O 
sinner, with the portal open, and the highway inviting you, 
step into it to-day! It is an old way; it is a tried way. 
Patriarchs and prophets have walked in it ; apostles and 
martyrs have trodden it ; it has been pressed by the feet of 
millions who have long since exchanged their travel-stained 
garments for white robes, and their pilgrim's staff for the 
harj^s of God. It is still thronged by millions more. "Will 
you not go with us? " We are journeying unto the place 
of which the Lord said, I will give it you : come thou with 
us, and we will do thee good ; for the Lord hath spoken good 
concerning Israel." 



SERMON XII. 

The Fading Leaf. 
" We all do fade as a leaf.' 7 (Isaiah lxiv. 6.) 

HOW exquisitely touching, as well as strikingly ex- 
pressive, are some of those metaphors employed in 
Scripture, with the view of impressing on the mind the fact 
of man's mortality! With what strange, fascinating influ- 
ence do they arrest, attract, and rivet attention! With 
what mysterious yet awakening power do they play upon 
the finer feelings of the soul's emotional nature! And with 
what deep, absorbing interest do they lead us to meditate 
on what is indeed so sad and solemn a reality — "In Adam 
all die!" 

One — not the least impressive— of these figures is the 
opening flower of spring-time. Speaking of man, says Job : 
"As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth." Observe, not 
as the giant oak of the forest, outliving the wreck of centu- 
ries, and when its weaker comrades are laid low still stand- 
ing with its gnarled roots firmly fixed in the riven rock 
and its spreading branches tossing gayly to the summer 
breeze. No ; but as the fragile flower, which has scarce be- 
gun to unfold its hidden sweets, when nipped by the north 
wind's bickering blast, or parched by the noonday's sultry 
sun, its momentary glories waste and its short-lived beauties 
die. Another figure, similarly terse and beautiful, is the 
fast-sailing ship of the sea. For this we are indebted to 
Job also. Speaking of man's days, he exclaims, "They 
are passed away as the swift ships ! " As to some spectator, 
stationed on some tall cliff adjacent to the sea, the sight of 
vessels gliding over the pathless deep — to the east, one fast 
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fading from the view ; to the west, the dim outline of anoth- 
er, gradually growing more distinct — so to the prophet ap- 
peared the days of man. In quick succession one goeth 
and another cometh. Soon as one day is watched sail 
through the channel of time, watched till it dwindles to a 
speck on the far-off waves, and then, with its burden of 
blessing and privilege, disappears, another is descried 
breasting the billows, and, with all canvas crowded, speed- 
ing on in the wake of its predecessor. Still another figure 
of rare significance and pathos is the thin, evanescent va- 
por. Alluding to the brevity, the frailty of human life, St. 
James remarks: "It is even a vapor, that appeareth for 
a little time, and then vanisheth away." Just as the morn- 
ing mist, entering the dim valley, lingers awhile, but is soon 
dispelled by the red rays which flash from the distant hills, 
so, son of man, your life broods over this "valley of tears," 
till suddenly the destroyer's darts "loose the silver cord," 
and you gasp, 

What is this absorbs me' quite, 
Steals ray senses, steals my sight, 
Draws my spirit, draws my breath ? 
Tell me, my soul, can this be death ? 

But of all the metaphors employed, the most touching, 
perhaps, is that used by Isaiah in our text, where, chanting 
the dirge of the living and the dead, he exclaims, " We all 
do fade as a leaf!" The fading leaf! Ah! what eye has 
not seen inscribed hereon, " True emblem. of my short life?" 
And what heart has not occasionally softened into tender 
melancholy at the sight? "We all do fade as a leaf." So 
have we said when standing in the old village church-yard, 
where rest our loved ones in the silent sleep of death. So 
have we said when treading the lone forest pathway, while 
musing on the days of yore. " We all do fade as a leaf." 
So has sighed the poet, moaned the philosopher, complained 



TJie Fading Leaf. 



147 



the devotee of wealth and power. "We all do fade as a 
leaf." This knell will be sung until the angel who stands 
with one foot on the sea and one on land, swears by Him 
that liveth forever and ever, time shall be no more ! 

But in order that we may profit by the text, let us con- 
sider more closely the similitude employed, and then the 
lesson it so obviously suggests. Consider, 

I. The striking similitude. "We all do fade as a leaf." 

There were two of our race to whom this similitude will 
not apply. "Enoch was translated that he should not see 
death; and was not found, because God had translated 
him." The Tishbite was borne aloft in " a chariot of fire," 
and, outstripping " the rider of the pale horse," rested not 
till his burning wheels passed through the gates of pearl. 
But of the rest of us the similitude holds true ; " we all do 
fade as a leaf." A poet has sung, 

Leaves have their time to fall, 
And flowers to wither at the north wind's breath. 

But, strictly speaking, they have their times, and we may 
mention spring-time as one of these. True, with that de- 
lightful season of the year we are wont to associate things 
widely foreign to the fading leaf. Spring-time ! The hoary 
mountains exchange their white robes for a garment of 
green, interwoven with flowers of countless hues. Spring- 
time ! The long-fettered fountains break from their chains, 
and skip adown the hill-sides, laughing in wild glee. 
Spring-time ! The songsters return from a distant clime, 
and rejoice as they warble out of sweet-scented bushes, blos- 
soming grain, and tall trees' crest. Spring-time ! There 
are violets blue and lilies fair lining the path, while over- 
head, clustering close, dance the green leaves as we pass. 

Certainly this picture is correct; but it is not rendered 
less so when to the rich variety of spring scenery is added 
" the sear and yellow leaf." The eye, enchanted with the 



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growing glories of nature, may overlook it, but yonder it 
droops low in the somber shade, while higher it sparkles in 
the solar fire. Lo ! we come to its burial ; for even now 
the evening zephyr steals softly by, and with silken cords 
fresh from the spider's web gently bears it below. 

How many a leaf thus fades in youth ! Many a mortal 
does the same. Ah ! while the world rolls on in its gayety 
and folly, while around is heard the dance, and the laugh, 
and the festive song, what numbers are stricken with an- 
guish because "Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye 
will take Benjamin away!" Scarce a family can be found 
but has lost some of its members ere they attained their 
prime. Awhile they bloomed in beauty and adorned the 
homes to wmichthey belonged; but seized in the cruel grasp 
of an early decay, they withered from our midst, and 
dropped into an early grave. We sorrow for them; for 
"'tis hard to die in spring-time." Life is never arrayed in 
such gorgeous rainbow colors as then. Fancy's soft brush 
glides over the canvas and enriches the glowing prospect 
by making " distance lend enchantment to the view." The 
youth's eye flashes, while his breast heaves with a strange, 
wild joy, as he contemplates the future. What may* not 
his strong arm and roused energies accomplish? He may 
•scale heights of honor yet untrodden, and "glory in what 
others dared but do." Generations to come may boast of 
him, and angels deem it a privilege to welcome him to their 
everlasting rest. But O to die without one struggle in 
life's arena — it is hard, hard! However dull earth may yet 
become, however often "I would not live alway" may yet 
startle the night-breeze, now the boy would linger into man- 
hood, and from manhood into age. "Life, life! not the 
gates of the grave," is his reiterated request. "Let me 
share in life's sorrows, take part in its conflicts, reap of its 
laurels," and " come to the grave in a full age, like a shock 



The Fading Leaf. 



149 



of corn cometh in its season." Ah! only religion can im- 
part resignation to the weeping one. She has a balm for 
every wound, a cordial for every fear. She shows the dy- 
ing youth a glorious home beyond the star-lit sky, and whis- 
pers, " Yonder amongst those many mansions is thy portion 
fair." She assures him that it is for some wise purpose now 
wrapt in obscurity, but soon to be made clear as the noon- 
day, that he is called home. She promises him that al- 
though he has done but little for the Saviour here, yet for 
his faithfulness in that which is least he shall "receive a 
crown of glory that fadeth not away." She thus enables 
him to meekly kneel in his Gethsemane and pray: "O my 
Father, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I 
will, but as thou wilt." Ay, and when his last hour comes, 
though it be his sunny spring-time, she enables him to die 
without a murmur, calmly as the falling leaf to take his 
place beneath "the clods of the valley." 

But another leaf-fading season is the summer. 

Hail, sweet succession of spring! Stormy as thy reign 
may yet be, all hearts greet thee ! Not that we had wea- 
ried of thine illustrious predecessor, but because thou wilt 
enlarge the empire and perfect the plans she so nobly be- 
gan. What stir, labor, and activity are now visible ! All 
things seem imbued with a new impulse, and like a throng 
of eager racers, to press forward to the goal. Ships pierce 
to the sullen iceberg's home, and return laden with the 
spoils of the sea. The Norwegian tills his cold, craggy hills, 
and hastens for the harvest. In more sunny climes the 
reaper goes forth with sickle sharp, and gathers in the gold- 
en grain. In the shady streamlet the beaver builds his 
dam, and makes ready for his winter store. The bee stops 
not to play, but swiftly hies to and from its crevice in the 
rock. "The ant, . . . consider her ways and be wise: 
which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her 
meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." 



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Yet this too, I remark, is a leaf-fading season. No lov- 
er of an early ramble, or of a quiet stroll at even-tide, can 
fail to observe it. The gardens, and the groves, and the 
golden streaks in the verdant forest, proclaim that in the 
midst of life they are in death. Ah ! since spring-time 
cruel fate has been busy there. Noxious vapors have as- 
cended from the low, dank marsh, and with strange, bright 
fire consumed the bloom on many a luxuriant leaf; angry 
storms have rallied to battle, and prostrated twigs, branch- 
es, and whole trees, in their foaming course; the spear of 
the thunder-cloud has darted on its mission, and in a mo- 
ment blackened the fairest foliage of the forest. Innumer- 
able insects, floating in the air, have lighted on the tender 
boughs, and wasted life and beauty in their stay. Now, 
ever and anon leaves come quivering to the ground. At 
times, indeed, there are few that fall, but again they are 
borne thick and fast to their resting-place. Already the 
fallen strew the soil, and yet others are to follow, for the 
stem which holds them to life is decayed ; another breeze, 
and the attenuated fibers are asunder. 

Do leaves thus fade in their maturity? with multitudes 
of men it is the same. 

Our eyes hav.e seen the rosy light 

Of youth's soft cheek decay, 
And fate descend in sudden night 

On manhood's middle day. 

How often does "the last enemy, which is death," take 
the field and cause even the strong man to bite the dust ! 
He comes in the raging fever, which kindles a strange fire 
in the veins and exhausts the fountain of life. He comes 
in "the pestilence that walketh in darkness" and with 
stealthy step slayeth its hundreds in a night. He comes in 
"the destruction that wasteth at noonday" — the hectic 
flush on the pallid cheek, which friends fondly flatter them- 



The Fading Leaf. 



151 



selves indicative of health, but a partner's watchful eye dis- 
cerns to be the herald of approaching doom. He comes in 
"the arrow that flieth by day" and, unseen by friend or 
foe, wingeth its way to the fatal mark. "A thousand fall 
at our side, and ten thousand at our right-hand." The 
hardy woodman, the busy speculator, the bearer of the 
lance, the heir of empire, and the king of men — these " go 
to their long home, and the mourners go about the streets." 
Yet another leaf-fading season is autumn. Now full oft 

The day is cold and dark and dreary; 
It rains, and the wind is never weary; 
The vine still clings to the raoldering wall, 
But at every gust the dead leaves fall, 
And the day is dark and dreary. 

When finally the clouds roll away and the warm sunshine 
floods hill and dale, we go forth and wander again where 
the violets grew and the wild jasmine bloomed in the 
breeze. Nature is lovely still, and still points up to nat- 
ure's God. A visible change, however, has taken place in 
the forest under whose shady canopy we were wont to muse. 
A number of the trees are now leafless and bare ; on others 
a few stray leaves hang still, but their pale, wan hues show 
that their hold upon life is fast waxing weak. Stately 
groups stand here and there with leaves yet on, but they are 
all of an amber tint, and cannot long endure. The pine, 
the holly, and the live-oak, retain their strength and fresh- 
ness, but sooner or later even these share the common fate. 
Time has at last come to demolish the summer woods. 
Vain is it to resist the destroyer of thrones, and of cities, 
and of mighty empires. The day of doom is come, and the 
rustling leaves, which once laughed defiance at disease, now 
wither and fall to the ground. 

Must leaves thus fade at last? "it is appointed unto man 
once to die." " The days of our years are three-score years 
and ten; and if by reason of strength they be four-score 



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years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow ; for it is soon 
cut off, and we fly away." "Our fathers, where are they? 
and the prophets, do they live forever?" Did not Adam, 
after tabernacling here nine hundred and thirty years, die? 
Did not Moses, when "his eye was not yet dim, nor his nat- 
ural force abated," ascend Mount Nebo, and there yield up 
the ghost? Did not David, "after he had served his own 
generation by the will of God, fall asleep, and see corrup- 
tion ? " Did not Hezekiah, after witnessing the shadow in 
the sun-dial of Ahaz return ten degrees, as a sign that his 
life should be prolonged, yet die, and go down into the dark 
pit? Where is Isaiah, who sung in such magnificent 
strains of the coming Messiah? Where is Paul, who 
preached the gospel from Antioch around about, even to 
Illyricum? Think of the mighty conquerors of the past. 
Alexander overran most of the then known world ; yet, as 
ran the epitaph upon his tomb — "A tomb sufficient for the 
man for whom the world was not sufficient." Hannibal 
was a man of prowess, flushed with victory, weighty in in- 
fluence, the terror of his times; yet a Roman satirist sug- 
gests — "Weigh the dust of Hannibal!" Yes, the decree 
has gone forth, "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou 
return." We may, "by reason of strength," survive our 
comrades, and linger on till the autumn of life sets in, but 
then comes the stern destroyer, time, to give us battle, and 
before his iron tread the last lone leaf of humanity must 
tremble and expire. My aged brethren, your "countenan- 
ces will soon change, and ye be sent away." 

The use to be made of the text is obvious. It should in- 
culcate humility. "We all do fade as a leaf;" then how 
unseemly that pride, that inordinate self-esteem we so fre- 
quently exhibit! Birth, rank, office, learning, wealth — 
grounds on which men delight to plume themselves — what 
are these but bright branches of the same decaying tree ? 



The Fading Leaf. 



153 



From heights of fame and power, whence play continually 
the lute-like breezes of flattery and applause, we must de- 
scend. Sooner or later the chill of death will penetrate the 
fibers of our hearts, and remove us from the present, how- 
ever elevated our position or attractive our surroundings. 

The text should stimulate to watchfulness. Spring, sum- 
mer, autumn; youth, manhood, age; whatever may be the 
season, " we know not what a day may bring forth." Do 
not leaves which wave in the early dawn oft lie on the cold, 
dank sward ere the night shadows fall? And do not men 
oft die when length of days seems before them, and sunny 
hopes beck them on? We cannot be too well prepared for 
the end. Death, to us, is no ordinary event. "It is ap- 
pointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." 
The present life is a probation. With the cessation of life 
the probation expires, and then reward or punishment will 
be administered " according to the deeds done in the body." 
This being so, what diligence should we give "to make our 
calling and election sure ? " It may be that some of you 
are living " without hope, and without God in the world " 
You have not on "the wedding-garment," "the fine linen, 
clean and white, which is the righteousness of saints." 
You live as though life had no sear and yellow leaf; as 
though its branches flourished in perpetual green; as though 
no blight of decay or frost of death ever visited its atmos- 
phere. Awake, ye careless ones ! 

You must grow old too 

Beneath the autumn sky ; 
But lovelier and brighter your lives may grow, 

Like leaves before they die : 
Brighter with kind deeds, 

With hopes and gladness given, 
Till the leaf falls down from the withered tree, 

And the spirit is in heaven. 

The text should induce patience. " We all do fade as a 



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leaf;" then how soon will the days of our sighing be ended! 
To many life is but a weariness and pain; death is viewed 
as the goal of their hopes, the gate-way to fruition. Suc- 
cessive calamities have befallen them, robbing earth of its 
beauty and attractiveness; and now, with eyes that glisten, 
"they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly." Sor- 
rowing one, be of good cheer. Not long will it be before 
the Master opens the crystal gate for thy weary feet to en- 
ter in. It may be nearer than thou thinkest ; only bear 
jaatiently thy cross, and in time thou shalt wear the crown. 
O when this material shall be dissolved, the long-pent spirit 
shall be loosed from its prison-house, and soar away to meet 
its God ; when angel forms shall burst upon the trembling 
gaze, and the glories of the New r Jerusalem loom near at 
hand ; when it feels that it is at last safe forever, far beyond 
the reach of change and death — what will be its rapture, 
what its song ! 

The woods in autumn present a fascinating spectacle. It 
is beauty, but it is the beauty of decay. We find ourselves 
sighing, yearning for something more permanent, something 
more satisfying. We shall have it in heaven. Its scenes 
have upon them an immaculate freshness and bloom ; its 
glory is unfading and eternal. There every thing is peace. 
The eternity of Him from whom this glory emanates will 
be the pledge of its certain perpetuity. Its permanent du- 
ration is secured by the inviolable fidelity of Him who has 
promised it, and solemnly ratified it by the infinitely meri- 
torious efficacy of the blood through which we are to obtain 
it. God grant that when done with earth those eyes of 
yours, which have oft gazed so fondly on perishable loveli- 
ness, may be prepared to behold the All-beautiful himself, 
the Man of Nazareth, the crucified but risen Redeemer!, 



The Fading Leaf. 



155 



One by one they fall and fade, 

Some in the sunshine, some in the shade,. 

Some in the light of glowing noon, 

Some 'neath the cold and qoiet moon ; 

One whirleth here, one falleth there, 

Till the ground is covered, the bough is bare ; 

So every field of earth receives 

These fading, falling, dying leaves. 

One by one we fall and fade, 

Some in the sunshine, some in the shade, 

Some in the bright, unclouded light, 

Some in the calm and quiet night; 

One mourneth here, one parteth there, 

Till the soul is weary, the heart is bare; 

So every field of earth receives 

These fading hearts, these dying leaves. 



SERMON XIII. 



The Rich Fool. 



"And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a cer- 
tain rich man brought forth plentifully : and he thought within him- 
self, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to 
bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down 
my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits 
and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much 
goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be 
merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall 
be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou 
hast provided ? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is 
not rich toward God." (Luke xii. 16-21.) 

nMHE parables of our Lord are a rich treasury of heav- 



JL enly instruction. Illustrating by familiar incidents 
the most solemn and important truths, they commend them- 
selves not only to the wise, but also to the simple, charming 
each by their variety, their fitness, and their force. They 
attest, moreover, the character of their author. Dropping 
from his lips, not as the hoarded honey of laborious years, 
but as the fresher gushings of unfathomed founts, they sur- 
prise by the mental strength which they discover, and 
irresistibly suggest the divinity of their birth. " Never 
man spake like this man." The unpremeditated product 
of the hour, his parables — even hostile criticism has con- 
fessed — are paragons of wisdom and of worth. 

It is a significant fact that we are indebted indirectly for 
many of these parables to human opposition. It affords, 
we think, a striking comment on the hopeful assurance of 
the pious Asaph : " Surely the wrath of man shall praise 
thee; the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." The 




The Rich Fool 



157 



unappreciative spirit of his audience, after witnessing an 
astounding miracle, evoked from Christ the parable of the 
sower. The question propounded by the wounded vanity 
of a disappointed disputant, "Who is my neighbor?" was 
met by relating the parable of the good Samaritan. The 
murmurings of scribes and Pharisees, because of his inter- 
est in publicans and sinners, gave rise to three analogous 
parables of the lost sheep, the lost shekel, and the lost son. 
So the untimely interruption of a covetous though defraud- 
ed heir occasioned the parable of the rich fool. 

We shall discourse to you on the folly and the fate of 
the individual mentioned in the text. Notice, 

I. His Folly. Of this we have several undeniable proofs. 

1. His skepticism. This, though not expressly asserted 
in the parable, is nevertheless fairly implied. And what 
gross folly thereby attaches to him ! A wealthy and pros- 
perous husbandman ; his opportunity for acquiring a knowl- 
edge of Jehovah could scarcely be surpassed. We pre- 
sume that the sacred oracles, so far as given, were at his 
command. There the Most High shone out in the great- 
ness of his strength, in the beauty of his holiness, and in 
the wonders of his love. In addition to revelation, he had 
for his instruction the vast volume of nature. His home, 
his daily occupation, presented him continually with me- 
morials of the infinite and invisible. Walking amid scenes 
instinct with the presence and power of Jehovah — his eye 
resting on the spreading blade, the clambering vine, the 
fruitful olive, and the princely palm; his ear echoing with 
the roll of thunder, the plash of water-falls, the song of 
birds, and the lullaby of ten thousand insects — each step 
he took told of the being and the bounty of a God. It is 
not every one who is so favorably situated. And this sug- 
gests that our surroundings may become sacred; our very 
employment may increase our responsibility. There are 



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thousands who, doomed to drudge in the heart of crowded 
cities, see but little of the works of God. They must travel 
miles before they can look on a wild rill, or a green slope, 
or a sweep of unbroken sky. And we do hold that skep- 
ticism, when occurring, is less culpable in their case than 
in the case of those whose privilege it is to have their home 
and avocation among rural solitudes. The inhabitants of 
large cities, especially the laboring classes, are not only de- 
prived of the opportunities of acquainting themselves with 
the handiwork of God, but even in their toil so many sec- 
ondary causes intervene between them and the Great First 
Cause that they are in constant danger of surrendering 
themselves to a low materialism, and of ascribing to the 
creature the glory due to the Creator. The truth is, they 
see more of man and less of God. For instance, the pale 
operative, weaving into gay and gorgeous fabrics the raw 
material furnished by his master, has never seen, it may be, 
the broad fields which, under Heaven's fostering care, pre- 
sent their white clusters for the loom. The busy builder, 
smoothing the rude planks that have been brought to him 
from afar, adjusting them for a place in palace, hall, or 
cot, has never entered, it may be, the majestic forest from 
whose hoary giants they have sprung. The trembling lap- 
idary, polishing stones that are to decorate the coronets of 
kings, or to sparkle on the bosoms of the fair, has never 
stood, it may be, by the streams from whose sands they 
have been sifted, or within the caves among whose crystals 
they were long concealed. 

We have observed how advantageous were the circum- 
stances which distinguished the rich husbandman of the 
text. He was brought into immediate contact with nature. 
He was set down, as it were, in the midst of a magnificent 
temple, whose every pillar, arch, and roof told of the wis- 
dom and power of the Builder. The grandeur, the beauty, 



The Rich Fool 



159 



the harmony, the design of creation were before him. There 
was all that was necessary to inspire in him the most san- 
guine belief in the being and perfections of Jehovah. And 
could doubt arise, he had but to glance abroad, and re- 
assurance might flow in from smiling meadow and wood- 
crowned height, joyous river and beaming sky. Yet of 
this very individual we learn that, notwithstanding the 
indubitable evidences which surrounded him, he had been 
living and still lived in total disregard of the Creator. 
The sun went forth in his strength, moon and stars walked 
in their brightness, but seemingly without suggesting a 
thought of Him who upholdeth them, and who called them 
all by name. " The ground brought forth plentifully/' 
yielding the full corn in the ear, the fruit of the olive and 
the vine* but never reminding of Him who giveth the dew 
in its season, and sendeth the early and latter rains. The 
rich husbandman saw Deity only in self, and yielded de- 
votion only to sense. It was u my fruits" and "my 
goods;" it was, "Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be 
merry." Well might Jehovah, contemplating this man 
from within the veil, contrasting his opportunities with 
their improvement, say to him, " Thou fool ! " And yet, 
alas! my friends, cases of similar, if not greater, folly 
abound at the present day. Even in this favored America 
of ours, with the light of the gospel shining upon it, and 
the glories of nature everywhere mantling its surface, there 
are men as skeptical as the rich husbandman of the text. 
Living amid the richest displays of creative might, with 
mountains frowning on their indifference, and brooks chant- 
ing the dirge of their deadness; with valleys putting to 
shame their ingratitude, and skies which might well soften 
obstinacy and pride, they see, they acknowledge no God. 
It is difficult for us to understand how any man, pretend- 
ing to sound sense, can become either avowedly or practi- 



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cally a skeptic. Heaven and earth are full of the glory 
of the Lord. From the lake, sleeping in calm loveliness, 
to the firmament, alive with its countless stars; from the 
flower, opening its petals to the sip of the descending dew, 
to the forest, burdened with beauty and waving in sum- 
mer pride; from the silvery mists, ascending the hill-side 
on wings of the wind, to the roseate clouds which curtain 
the couch of declining day; from the tiny ephemera, that 
floats in the air, to the brightest genius that swims in an 
atmosphere of praise — all nature, in whatever form, and 
under whatever aspect, loudly proclaims: "Great is the 
Lord, and of great power; his understanding is infinite !" 

2. A second proof of the folly of the rich man is found 
in his selfishness. 

Mutual dependence is the law of the universe. As far as 
it relates to the human race, the wisdom of this arrange- 
ment is at once apparent. Occasion is thus offered for the 
development of those kindly sentiments and feelings which 
in themselves constitute no inconsiderable part of our hap- 
piness. If we would consult our true interest, we shall 
recognize this dependence, and seek, in ministering to the 
happiness of others, those elements so essential to our own 
To ignore this law, to live solely to self, seeking therein our 
highest satisfaction and delight, is irrational and criminal, 
and can result only in bitter disappointment. It is to at- 
tempt to slake our thirst from broken cisterns which can 
hold no water; it is to pursue the phantom of the desert, 
which smiles in its airy beauty, and beckons but to destroy. 
The rich husbandman was intensely selfish. He lived 
only for the aggrandizement of self; he sought enjoyment 
only in the gratification of self. His circumstances were 
favorable to the attainment of the maximum of human 
bliss. He was "rich." His "ground brought forth plen- 
tifully." From hill-side and plain, on beasts of burden and 



The Rich Fool 



161 



on the shoulders of strong men, came year after year an 
increasing harvest of wheat and of barley, of vines and fig- 
trees and pomegranates, of oil, olives, and honey. There 
was more than enough for him and his dependents. This 
abundance he might have employed in acts of benevolence, 
reaping therefrom that luxury of joy which is the insep- 
arable concomitant of kindness, and so distinguished an in- 
gredient in the happiness of man. The only effect of his 
great prosperity was to perplex him as to how he could best 
dispose of his goods to the sole advantage of self. His anx- 
ious thought was, " What shall I do, because I have no 
room where to bestow my fruits ?" No room! Surely, O 
reason, for once thou art fallen from thy pedestal ! No 
room! when there were thousands of outcasts in Israel so- 
liciting a morsel of bread. No room! when there were 
widows struggling with fierce penury, and orphans all shel- 
terless and sorrowful. No room! when everywhere might 
be met the poor and the maimed, and the halt and the blind. 
Fool indeed was the rich man — lost alike to truth, to feel- 
ing, and to conscience — when he sighed for more capacious 
barns to stow away the superfluity which, wisely and prov- 
idently dispensed, would have opened to his soul a flood- 
tide of serenest peace! And yet this selfishness of his, 
though extreme, is by no means exceptional. There are 
more fools in this respect than he who some eighteen cent- 
uries ago lived and died in the far East. There are many 
in our land to whom God has given a fortune in steward- 
ship, who hold it with a grip of iron, hoarding it away with 
miserly care — if not in barns, in banks and stocks and 
bonds — and who spend it only in pandering to self. There 
are men who have enough and to spare — whose fields yield 
them a rich harvest, whose merchandise brings them a high 
percentage, whose profession, whose trade, gives them more 
than a competency — who turn away from the cry of suffer- 



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ing, and refuse to lend a hand to the helpless. Their only 
thought is, " How shall I best dispose of the surplus of my 
means to personal advantage? what investments for my 
savings will I find the safest and most profitable ? in what 
way will I succeed in augmenting my principal and secur- 
ing ease and comfort to myself the remainder of my days?" 
Fools! as if their superabundance, be it more or less, was 
intended only to foster and strengthen their inherent and 
hereditary selfishness. " When rain from heaven has filled 
a basin on the mountain-top, the reservoir overflows, and 
so sends down a shower to refresh the valley below ; it is 
for a similar purpose that God, in his providential govern- 
ment, fills the cups of those who stand in the high places 
of the earth, that they may distribute the blessing among 
those who occupy a lower place in the scale of prosperity/' 
The opportunity is thus given for the cultivation of that 
spirit of benevolence which raises human nature to a like- 
ness to the Infinite, and is itself a stream of ineffable and 
heavenly delight — a disposition lost to us by the fall, but 
regained by faith in the atonement of the Saviour. The 
method of reserving all for self, using charitably nothing 
we may possess above the necessaries and conveniences of 
life, contravenes the Divine will, and can only end in ren- 
dering more complete our degradation and misery. Riches 
— whatever of " this world's goods " we possess, after sup- 
plying the ordinary wants of ourselves and those immedi- 
ately related to us — have their legitimate place when re- 
served or profitably invested for the purpose of enabling us 
to relieve the poor, to succor the distressed, and to extend 
the gospel as occasion may require. They thus become the 
means of ennobling our character and of increasing our 
happiness. Hoarded as our portion, regardless of the good 
of others, they burden us while we live and condemn us 
when we die. 



The Rich Fool 



163 



3. A third proof of the folly of the rich man is found in 
his sensuality. 

There is something in the human soul that craves and 
will be satisfied with nothing less than infinitude. It is 
vain to attempt to assuage this deep and universal longing 
with what is earthly and perishable. The soul rises far 
above the present, its riches, honors, and delights, and 
sighs for a blessedness which no worldly circumstances, 
however favorable, can impart. The soul was made to 
find its chief enjoyment in God; he is its true rest, the 
center of its equipoise, the source from which springs its 
enduring peace. The folly of men is that, sensible of 
their inward want, they apply not to Him who can satisfy 
it, but wander restlessly through life seeking solace from 
the empty and unstable. It was thus with the rich hus- 
bandman of the text. He was conscious of an unrepressed 
longing for something brighter and better than he had yet 
experienced. Not all his wealth had brought him happi- 
ness. The glow of pleasure which accompanied the song 
of reapers and the shoutings for the vintage was but tran- 
sient — a parting ray enlivening cold summits of his being, 
a flashing meteor crossing for a moment the firmament of 
his night. There was still unrest, sad and mournful, like 
the moaning of waves on a barren strand. At times his 
soul, tired of its fruitless importunity, would break out in 
a paroxysm and demand of him a bliss proportionate to 
its vast capacities. His crime it was to mistake the an- 
swer to this yearning. He thought that more abundant 
material provisions would satisfy its craving. " I will say 
to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many 
years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." Was 
ever reasoning more absurd ? How groveling his concep- 
tion of a deathless soul! how low his estimate of the majes- 
ty of man ! And yet, my friends, in his degraded sensual- 



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ity, he but exemplifies existing character. Are there not 
those among us who, like him, are seeking their highest 
good, their most anticipated future, in mere worldly ease, 
mere carnal gratification, mere temporal advancement? 
Look at the voluptuary: his delight the banquet, with its 
delicious viands, its foaming wine-cups, its song and dance, 
and midnight revelry. Look at the worshiper of mammon, 
the' devotee of wealth: his joy the glittering silver, the 
lands broad and fertile, the houses many and magnificent. 
Look at the lover of fame : his meat and drink the breath 
of popular applause, the adulation of consenting nations, 
the pomp and pride of circumstance and place. Fools are 
they, no less than the rich man, to think with such husks 
as these to satisfy an immortal soul ! 

4. A fourth proof of the folly of the rich man is found 
in his self-confident assumption of long life. 

Death is a fixed fact from which there is no escape. It 
is, moreover, the most momentous crisis of our being, as 
ushering us into an - unknown state, and determining our 
final destiny. A wise man will live as though each day 
might be his last. For death is not only certain, but it is 
an event which may befall us at any moment. It is to be 
lamented that the majority of men live as though confident 
of long life. " Their inward thought is that their houses 
shall continue forever, and their dwelling-places to all gen- 
erations. This their way is their folly. " To this class be- 
longed the rich husbandman of the text. " Soul," he said, 
" thou hast much goods laid up for many years." How pre- 
sumptuous, how foolish! It would seem as if men were 
recreant to reason, to revelation and experience, when they 
can thus hide from themselves the possible proximity of 
death. All terrestrial things proclaim to us our doom. 
Never does the sun go down in the west, covered with 
clouds, or fringing the heavens with amber and gold, but 



The Rich Fool. 



165 



it points to life's setting, and suggests the beauty or the 
blackness which shall mark it. Never does a flower with- 
er in our gardens, and bow its graceful head in the dust, 
but it teaches us that all flesh is as grass, and the goodli- 
ness thereof as the flower of the field: the grass withereth 
and the flower thereof falleth away. Never do the leaves 
put on their crimson robes in autumn but they tell of decay 
which, sooner or later, must overtake the proudest and 
strongest, and warn us to prepare to die. O the insane 
folly of those who live as though there were no death and 
no grave ! O the insane folly of those who presume on long 
life, and consider not their latter end ! 

From the folly of the rich husbandman let us turn to 
consider, 

II. His Fate. And here we shall be brief. 

1. It was dreadful. He died suddenly and unexpectedly. 
He died amidst a profusion of worldly goods. His riches 
could not save him ! He died in a manner which leaves 
no ground to believe that he entered into the joys of the 
righteous. How dreadful ! Dreadful too will be the fate 
of all who imitate his folly. There is no respect of persons 
with God. Indignation and wrath, tribulation and an- 
guish, will he render to every soul of man that doeth evil. 
O the endless tribulation that awaits the wicked ! How the 
heart quivers and the tongue falters as we think of it ! God 
shall smite, and shall not spare! 

2. The fate of the rich husbandman, though dreadful, 
was deserved. 

To what end was he endowed with reason, with con- 
science, with affections, if not to glorify God? To what 
end was his cup of material plenty filled to overflowing, if 
not to excite his gratitude and prompt him to holy obedi- 
ence? Just was God when, after waiting year after year 
in vain, he commanded the barren tree to be cut down; 



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and just will he be should he for similar folly sentence any 
of us to perdition. We know that the Lord is good to all, 
and his tender mercies are over all his works. He desireth 
not the death of the sinner, but would rather that he should 
turn and live. When, however, his mercies are abused, 
when his long-suffering is despised, what remains for him 
but to punish? Were sinners permitted to sin with impu- 
nity, were no penalty attached to transgression, the gov- 
ernment of God would come to be regarded as a myth, and 
rebellion and anarchy prevail throughout his dominions. 
Think not, then, O sinner, to escape punishment, if you 
continue impenitent. " Whatsoever a man soweth, that 
shall he also reap." 

A word of caution in conclusion. 

Let us shun skepticism. We may not be avowed athe- 
ists, but there is a forgetfulness of God practically as dan- 
gerous as a denial of his existence. Let him be to us not 
a cold abstraction, but a living presence. Let us see him 
everywhere. Let nature be to us an expanded volume, 
rich in divine instruction, a splendid mirror revealing the 
Creator's perfections. Let the flowers breathe his sweet- 
ness ; let the streams sing his goodness ; let the ocean tell 
his power; let the mountains proclaim his majesty ; let the 
stars show forth his glory. 

Let us subdue selfishness. Let us recognize the brother- 
hood of man by the generous sympathy flowing from our 
hearts. Let loving beneficence characterize our lives. 
Perish the thought of living only for self ! "As we have 
opportunity, let us do good unto all men." 

Let us rise superior to the senses. Let us not attempt 
in any w ay to satisfy spiritual craving with material food. 
There is indeed ease for the soul, but it is only to be found 
in Him who said, " Come unto Me } all ye that labor and are 
heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." There is food for 



The Rich Fool 



167 



the soul — it is " the bread that cometh down from heaven ; " 
there is drink for the soul — it is " the water of life, proceed- 
ing from the throne of God and of the Lamb;" there is 
merry-making for the soul — it is the "joy unspeakable and 
full of glory." 

Let us not be self-confident as to continued life. Philip 
of Macedon commanded one of his pages to come every 
morning to his chamber and cry aloud, " Philip, remember 
thou art mortal ! " Memorable at Saladin's banquet to 
Richard Coeur de Leon — ever memorable among the ban- 
ners and pennous, the trophies of battles won and king- 
doms overthrown — is the long lance displaying a shroud, 
"the banner of death, with this impressive inscription: 
'Saladin, king of kings; Saladin, victor of victors; Sala- 
din must die.' " 



SERMON XIV. 



Tabor. 



"And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, 
he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to 
pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, 
and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked 
with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: who appeared in 
glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Je- 
rusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with 
sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two 
men that stood with him. And it came to pass as they departed 
from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: 
and let us make three tabernacles ; one for thee, and one for Moses, 
and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, 
there came a cloud, and overshadowed them; and they feared as 
they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the 
cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son; hear him. And when the 
voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it clQse, and 
told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen." 
(Luke ix. 28-36.) 

T"N the story of Jesus we have a drama of unrivaled beau- 



J- ty, pathos, and significance. Three times he appears 
on the stage of life, and each successive time with increased 
interest. First, as a tender babe, calmly reposing in a rude 
manger at Bethlehem, the blue canopy overhead radiant 
with angelic choirs, who chant their sweetest lays in honor 
of his birth. Next, disputing with grave doctors beneath 
the venerable shade of broad-leaved palms, a mere youth 
of twelve, with rose-tints on his chubby cheeks, no wrinkle 
furrowing his snowy brow, and the wild mountain breeze 
playing lovingly with his light, luxuriant locks. Again 
the dini curtain is withdrawn, and for three years — begin- 
ning with \n> baptism at the Jordan and the descent of the 




Tabor. 



169 



divine Dove upon him — he moves before us in mingled 
majesty, love, and awe. Now on some delightful slope, its 
groves gorgeous with the rich drapery of spring, its atmos- 
phere balmy with the bursting blossoms, he startles the 
quiet scene with deep notes of warning; then on some ver- 
dant plain, its western walls bathed in the radiance of the 
setting sun, its lake-line deepening with the dusky hue of 
approaching twilight, his words fall like rain-drops on a 
thirsty soil. Now in a chamber, where raging fever laps up 
the life-fount of an aged loved one, he bids the cruel foe de- 
part, and it obeys ; then by the way-side where two blind 
men bewail their fate in tones which rise above the din of 
a moving multitude, he pauses, and questioning their wish, 
floods daylight through their orbs' dark dungeon. Now 
asleep in the midst of a storm on Galilee's sea, tumultuous 
billows leaping madly over the helpless bark, he is awak- 
ened by his frightened disciples, and at his behest the 
troubled elements sink down in quiet rest. Then weeping 
by the new-made grave of Lazarus, a sorrowing group 
surrounding him, he directs the stone to be rolled away, 
and thundering forth his omnific will, compels captivity to 
yield its prey. Now crossing Kedron's babbling brook, 
and bowing low in the gloomy shadow of Gethsemane, he 
dyes the green turf with his sacred blood. Then basely 
betrayed into the hands of his enemies and hurried to Cal- 
vary, he sustains a weight of woe which would have crushed 
worlds; and while night throws her mantle over the awful 
tragedy, and rocks gape wide in horror at the scene, he 
bleeds, agonizes, and dies. Now low in a sepulcher, around 
which cluster the vine, the lily, and the fig-tree, he lies, 
guarded by grim soldiers who pace to and fro in the pale 
moonbeams. Then starting into life, making "vain the 
stone, the watch, the seal," he soars aloft in triumph, pass- 
ing suns in his flight, and is welcomed by angels, hymned 
7 



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by the redeemed, throned by the Father, and forever at 
rest. — 

Our text presents him on Mount Tabor, and commemo- 
rates one of those few delightful episodes which, as stars 
that flash on the breast of a midnight storm, occasionally 
illumine his deeply sad and sorrowful career. The occa- 
sion of his being on Tabor, and the circumstances which 
transpired during his stay there, will form the topics of con- 
sideration. We will notice, 

I. What brought him on Tabor. 

Certainly not a mere love of the beautiful and the sub- 
lime. This, indeed, brought many a warm, gushing spirit 
to its summit. Tabor was remarkable for its glorious as- 
pect and surrounding scenery. "Tabor among the mount- 
ains" was deemed fit emblem of Nebuchadnezzar with his 
towering pomp and helmeted legions amid the chariots of 
Egypt. An immense, irregular cone, its declivities dotted 
with innumerable shrubs and wide-spreading oaks, carpeted 
with myriads of flowers and ferns, and sparkling, with tiny 
rills that danced over moss-covered rocks, no mount bore 
itself more grandly. The prospect from the top was, for 
magnificence, variety, and historic association, unsurpassed 
by aught on earth. In the sweet valley beneath slept the 
dust of Sisera's haughty host, smitten down by the con- 
quering hands of Barak. To the south rose Gilboa, where 
<'Saul and Jonathan, lovely and pleasant in their lives, in 
their death were not divided." Mount Carmel was visible, 
and the breezes which came from its broad table-lands were 
perfumed with the prayers of Elijah. Snowy peaks peered 
above the dull haze to the north, marking the spot whence 
came the tall cedars of Lebanon. Far down in the east, 
Lapped in God's love, Galilee lay like a mirror, embosomed 
in its rounded and beautiful but treeless hills. Jordan 
rolled on to its mysterious bourne, memorable in that there 



Tabor. 



171 



was its swelling tide driven back, and its hard bed made a 
highway for man. The ocean rolled in the distance, and 
beneath its blue billows were the stranded ships of Tarshish. 
But this scene, so surpassingly lovely and attractive to Jew- 
ish eye, brought not the Saviour to Tabor. What could 
all the beauty and glory of this sin-dimmed world be to the 
Unsearchable? "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of 
the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers ; 
that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth 
them out as a tent to dwell in." Even then was he gazing 
upon another land, before whose celestial splendor earth 
paled as the twinkling star in the blaze of the rising day. 
Its cloudless skies were around him ; its breezes, laden with 
the richest odors, fanned him; its everlasting hills, sea of 
glass, and river, clear as crystal swept before him. Its 
God-built city, with pellucid portals, palaces, and thrones, 
was mirrored on his vision ; and the new song of its glori- 
fied inhabitants, who knew neither sorrow nor sin, fell upon 
his ear — "Worthy, worthy is the Lamb !" 

We think the true key to his being on Tabor is found in 
an incident which had recently transpired. But "six or 
eight days" had elapsed since Jesus had declared to his 
disciples the destiny awaiting him on earth. This he did 
in order to correct an impression fast deepening in their 
minds respecting his mission. They, as indeed vast multi- 
tudes besides, seem to have concluded, in their carnal esti- 
mate of Scripture, that the special work of Messiah was to 
deliver the Jewish nation from oppression, lead them forth 
conquering and to conquer; and subduing the ends of the 
earth to his scepter, establish an everlasting dominion at 
Jerusalem. Without doubt this notion had operated pow- 
erfully in inducing them to leave all and follow him, as 
they might reasonably expect to be amply compensated for 
whatever self-denial or inconvenience they endured in his 



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Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



service. His chosen ones, who were probably to reign with 
him, they trod delighted at his side, witnessed with high 
i lation his miracles testifying his Messiahship, and eagerly 
Ion rod for the period to arrive when, announcing his grand 
mission, the whole nation, as one man, would flock to his 
standard. Ay, already in anticipation they saw Judah's 
slumbering sword leap from its scabbard, "the Lion of the 
tribe" at its head, "on his vesture and on his thigh a name 
written, King of kings, and Lord of lords;" proud em- 
pires trembling at his tread, and mighty armies and valiant 
men crouching at his feet. The Saviour, to whom was pre- 
sented a far different picture, lost no time in dispelling 
their wild dreams. On the road to Cesarea Philippi the 
unvarnished truth was told them. Instead of esteemed and 
honored, he was to be "despised and rejected of men." In- 
stead of surrounded by swelling ranks, he was to be left 
solitary, deserted even by those in whose friendship he 
mostly confided. Instead of leading the vanquished to vic- 
tory, avenging their wrongs, he himself was to be a jDrisoner, 
mocked, spat upon, and scourged. Instead of a throne and 
the trappings of royalty, there were in the perspective dark- 
ness, a cross, a tomb. His only crown on earth was to be 
a crown of thorns. "The Son of man must suffer many 
things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief 
priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise 
again," was his emphatic declaration to his disciples. How, 
in what manner, they received this intelligence, blighting 
their hopes in the bud, we are not left to conjecture. Sor- 
row, disappointment, and chagrin prevailed. Peter, with 
characteristic forwardness, took the Saviour apart and re- 
buked him: "Be it far from thee Lord," said he; "this 
shall not come unto thee." But he turned, and said unto 
Peter : " Get thee behind me, Satan ; for thou savorest not 
the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." 



Tabor. 



173 



And then — that there might not be the least mistake — he 
said to them all: "If any man will come after me, let him 
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it ; but whosoev- 
er shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." 

Now this incident, we think, gives the key to our Sav- 
iour's being on Tabor. The coasts of Cesarea Philippi 
were reached, and days rolled by; but while the inspired 
writers observe profound silence respecting this visit, it is 
only natural to suppose that it was marked by sorrow and 
dejection on the part of the disciples. As ivy festoons, torn 
by some rude blast from the crumbling parapets, and pin- 
ing to be restored to their ruined resting-place, were they. 
And their wish ungratified, a cold, withering distrust was 
stealing over them. True, they still followed the Saviour, 
but not with the quick, elastic step of old. Ever and anon 
they turned aside and whispered to each other of him. 
Can he indeed be the hope of Israel? one would inquire. 
Did not the prophet speak of him as a " Star to come out 
of Jacob, and a Scepter to rise out of Israel ? " And were 
there not to be regal preparations for his coming, the fill- 
ing up of valleys, the leveling of hills, and the making of 
highways through the pathless deserts? Was he not to 
"have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto 
the ends of the earth?" Were not "they that dwell in 
the wilderness to bow before him, and his enemies to lick 
the dust?" Was he not to "live, and to him be given the 
gold of Sheba; prayer ^Iso to be made for him continually, 
and daily shall he be praised ? " And was he not to make 
Jerusalem "an eternal excellency, and the joy of many 
generations?" But how different what this man tells us! 
His are to be the red of scorn and the scarlet of mockery ; 
no crown is to encircle his brow ; our loved land is to lie 
waste and desolate still ; and as for us, tribulation is to be 
our portion. Can this be the Messiah? Surely not! 



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Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



Our Saviour, from whom nothing was concealed, we may 
suppose, marked their conduct. No doubt a wave of unut- 
terable sadness rolled over his soul as he thought of their 
blind unbelief. Notwithstanding all his wonderful works, 
they were now on the very verge of apostasy. Knit to 
them, however, by bonds of the purest love, he resolves on 
their salvation. But to this end their faith must be increased. 
Hence "it came to pass [mark the connection] about an 
eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and 
James [who probably were chief among the disciples], 
and Avent up into a mountain to pray." Consider, 

II What transpired during their stay there. 

We discern Jesus on Tabor, kneeling in earnest prayer 
for his disciples. Hour after hour took wings and new 
away ; the sun painted with purple the clouds which hov- 
ered around Carmel, and finally disappeared amid the foam- 
crested waves of the distant deep; stars came clustering 
forth, and with a mystic glow illumined the scene; the 
night breeze rustled by, evoking music from the tall grass 
where slept the disciples, weary of watching; still the Sav- 
iour prayed on. At last the answer comes. He who had 
heard* patriarchs and prophets in the past, whose ear is ever 
open to the cries of his people, hears his own beloved Son. 
Lo! "as he prayed the fashion of his countenance was al- 
tered, and his raiment was white and glistering." Woke 
by some mysterious impulse, the disciples rise, and find Je- 
sus " transfigured before them" 

Where were their doubts? Vanished as the mists of the 
valley before the meridian rays of a vernal sun. There 
could be no mistake with respect to his character now. 
About that transcendent being there was something more 
than earthly. " His form, which had been bent under a 
load of sorrow (a bend more glorious than the bend of the 
rainbow), now erected itself like the palm-tree from press- 



Tabor. 



175 



ure."* His face, on which deep lines of grief had long 
been implanted, suddenly outshone the most brilliant orb 
that rolled in the dark expanse above him. His eyes, soft 
and liquid, sparkled with fire. "His hair was white as 
snow." His weary feet became as "polished brass." His 
raiment appeared as a pillar of cloud through which the 
richest moonbeams streamed. On his head were many 
crowns and on his lips the "voice as of many waters" hung. 

But the answer to Christ's prayer for the establishment 
of his disciples' faith did not stop here. "Behold, there 
talked with him two men, which ivere Moses and Elias." 

It is difficult to repress a sigh at the mention of Moses. 
The last scene of his life is sure to flit before us. We see 
him assembling Israel's swarthy sons, and delivering to 
them his farewell charge. We see him taking his final 
leave of them, and with streaming eyes, blanched cheek, and 
throbbing heart, wending his way up Nebo. A strange, 
deep moan, as from some tempest-lashed ocean, goes after 
him. Again and again he pauses, as though the struggle 
was too much for him. Forty years has he roved the des- 
ert, why not rest in Canaan? The bones of Joseph were 
going up to the land of promise, why his to bleach on this 
lone mount? He dares not look behind. Upward he 
climbs, and at last the top of Pisgah is gained. There he 
stands for hours, gazing on the far-off beauties of Palestine. 
It was the home and burying-place of his fathers. There 
were the graves of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. There 
w T ere Mamre and Bethel. Would that he could pass on and 
drink of that goodly stream Jordan ! Would that he could 
sit beneath the shade of those olive-trees and rest ! But no, 
he must die — die with the rocks for his pillow, the wailing 
of winds for his requiem, and the dew-drops of heaven the 
only tears shed upon his cold but placid brow. He died, 



*Gilfillan. 



176 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



and God buried him, but in our text he appears with Je- 
sus in Canaan at last. 

There was with him a no less illustrious character in the 
person of Elias. We never think of him without picturing 
one seated in a chariot of fire, thundering up the azure 
steep, and never resting till his burning wheels cleave ce- 
lestial verdure. Both "appeared in glory" — no longer in 
the humble garb of our mortality, but with the winged 
pomp and dazzling beauty of the seraphim. The disciples, 
by some strange intuition, recognized them. And O if 
there was a solitary doubt still lingering in thei 1 * minds re- 
specting the Saviour, it must have been extinguished now r , 
for they heard their venerable visitors distinctly "speak of 
his decease ivhich he should shortly accomplish at Jerusalem" 
Now were they sure that the truth dwelt in him. Distrust 
him they could not any more. Joy-beams illumined their 
countenances, and a burst of enthusiasm thrilled their 
hearts. " Master," said Peter, " it is good for us to be here ; 
and let us build three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for 
Moses, and one for Elias." 

But the answer to Christ's prayer was not yet completed. 
Suddenly a strange w T hite cloud, like that seen by the Isra- 
elites in the wilderness, hovered over Tabor. Down, down, 
like a mighty meteor, it came. The disciples trembled as 
it neared them. And no wonder; for the memory of their 
past suspicions was sufficient to excite fear of some signal 
punishment. Would not vengeance flash forth from the 
cloud and consume them? Was not a thunderbolt of wrath 
on the wing to destroy them ? But their fears were need- 
less. " There came a voice out of the cloud saying, This is 
my beloved Son : hear him;'' and this said, both cloud and 
company disappeared. When the disciples recovered from 
their trepidation they found Jesus alone. The glory of the 
transfiguration had faded like those wandering night-fires 



Tabor. 



177 



which sometimes illuminate for awhile our northern skies. 
Night wore on ; they slept little, but continued till the break 
of day talking of the glorious things revealed. " And they 
kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things 
which they had seen." 

Dear brethren, are there no lessons to be learned on Ta- 
bor? See you not how tenderly Christ cares for his own 
disciples? O what love was there in our Lord's offering 
this prayer at this crisis in the history of the twelve ! But 
it was only the adding of another to the untold prayers 
which he had already offered for the establishment of their 
faith and the promotion of their salvation. Ah ! " we have 
not a high-priest who cannot be touched with the feeling 
of our infirmities." If the temptations to which we are ex- 
posed become too strong for us, "he will make a way for 
our escape." He will pray for us, and arm us, as he armed 
his disciples, "with the shield of faith;" and "therewith we 
shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked 
one." 

Too often we distrust the Saviour's love. Because he is 
apparently removed from us and we perceive him not, we 
suppose him to be ignorant of our wants, or at least to be 
so occupied with the guiding of his mighty empire as to be 
indifferent to them. Such a view, however, is derogatory 
to the character of Christ. Distance cannot diminish his 
affection, and multiplicity of objects produce no confusion 
with him. With consummate skill he works all things 
after the counsel of his own will ; and though he occupies a 
palace and we dwell in dust, and though he holds the reins 
of eternity and we are full oft crushed by poverty and 
temptation, we may rest assured that he does not overlook 
us, but that his love for us is as deep, as constant, and as 
active as when he endured in our stead the unparalleled 

agonies of the garden and the tree. Let us then trust in 

7* 



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him, let us commit our souls to his keeping, relying upon 
his love, and believing that still, as in the past, " He shall 
feed his flock like a shepherd ; he shall gather the lambs 
with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead 
them that are with young. " 

Again, discern you not on Tabor fresh proof of our im- 
mortality? Centuries had elapsed since Moses and Elias 
passed from earth, when they reappeared in glory on Tabor. 
During this interval mighty conquerors had perished and 
nations been blotted from existence. Still, untouched by 
the lapse of years and the shock of falling empires, these 
two men live. And because they live, ive shall live also. 

How inspiring is the doctrine of the soul's immortality ! 
Scorn the Christian religion as men may ; hold it up to rid- 
icule and shame ; accuse it of being the superstitious offspring 
of statesmanship and priestcraft ; chase it from their dwell- 
ings as they would a tainted leper ; after all, where else shall we 
go for consolation in the time of our deepest tribulation ? Im- 
mortality ! Nature may indeed faintly suggest it; philoso- 
phy may venture, hesitatingly and tremulously, to hope it; 
but Christianity alone can establish it. Immortality ! 
how it dispels the dim shadows of the present, and decks 
with ascending sunbeams the endless ages of the future! 
How 7 it lifts the fainting spirit up when bowing before the 
blasts of bitter bereavement, and enables the believer to 
clap his hands, and even sing, amid the fury of the storm ! 
Immortality! But take this hope from us and you launch 
us upon a wild, surging sea, without a chart or compass, 
night and the rocks around us, and not a solitary star to 
gaze down in mute pity on our doom; you mantle every 
stage of our pilgrimage in more than Egyptian gloom, and 
leave death's closing hour a scene of blackness and despair; 
you blight every blossom of promise, and turn into bitter- 
ness every well-spring of joy. Then 



Tabor. 



179 



All hail the calm reality, 
The seraph Immortality ! 
Welcome, welcome happy bowers, 
Where no passing tempest lowers; 
But the azure heavens display 
The everlasting smile of day ; 
And the spirit sinks to ease, 
Lulled by distant symphonies. 

But again. Have we not on Tabor indubitable evidence 
of the recognition of Christian friends in heaven ? Moses 
and Elias were made known to the disciples. We too shall 
know them, and all the pious dead, hereafter. This is part 
of our birthright, and will not be withheld any more than 
the other good things Yvhich God hath prepared for them 
that love him. Respecting the objections which have been 
Urged against this glorious doctrine we have little to say, 
save that they are exceedingly puerile. - "What! shall 
memory be obliterated, and shall we forget our own past 
histories, and accordingly cease to know that we have been 
redeemed men ! or, remembering this fact, shall we be 
prevented from communicating our histories to others?"* 
Shall we be in the presence of friends with whom we have 
labored and prayed and suffered, and who have twined 
themselves around our affections as the acanthus-leaf around 
the Corinthian pillar? and yet shall we be prevented from 
knowing them through eternity? Are the apostles now ig- 
norant of each other? Can we believe that Moses and Eli- 
as were unknowm to each other prior to their advent on Ta- 
bor, and that having accomplished their mission they re- 
tired into forgetfulness of each other again ? Surely not ! 
Why, heaven is not to estrange us; heaven is our Father's 
home; it is the great gathering-house of his people. 

* Macleod. 



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Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



There are our loved ones in their rest — 

They've crossed Time's river; now no more 
They heed the bubbles on its breast, 

Nor feel the storms that sweep its shore. 
But their pure love can live, can last; 

They look for us their home to share, 
When we, in turn, away have passed. 

What joyful greetings wait us there — 
Across the river ! 

"O renowned day!" exclaimed the Roman orator; 
"when I shall have reached the divine assemblage of those 
minds with which I have congenial predilections, and shall 
escape this untoward and uncongenial throng ! " "We but 
depart," said the lyrist of the same nation, "to meet our 
JEneas, and our Tully, and our Ancus." "I must confess," 
said the pious Baxter, " as the experience of my own soul, * 
that the expectation of meeting and loving my friends in 
heaven, principally kindles my love to them while on earth. 
If I thought I should never know them, and consequently nev- 
er love them after this life is ended, I should number them 
with earthly things, and love them as such ; but I now delight- 
fully converse with my pious friends, in a firm persuasion that 
I shall converse w T ith them forever, and I take comfort in 
those that are dead or absent, believing that I shall shortly 
meet them in heaven, and love them with a heavenly love." 

Brethren, let us be comforted in our bereavements. 
Many of us have dear ones who have crossed the dark riv- 
er and now rest beneath the shade of the trees. Their de- 
parture has left our hearts lonely and desolate, and robbed 
life of its brightness for aye. We shall meet them again. 
Yes, on a shore where the ripple of sorrow shall never fall 
upon the car, where farewells are unknown and joy is com- 
plete; in a land where the leaves are ever green and the 
flowers amaranthine; where the rills run purple with nec- 
tar and the dews drop fragrant with balm; where every av- 



Tabor. 



181 



enue and walk is paved with burnished gold, and above 
all and on all flash the streaming splendors of Jehovah ; 
there in the temple of God, the Eden of the universe, sweet 
paradise of delights, we shall meet them again. And how 
soon, who can tell ? There is but a veil of gossamer be- 
tween us and immortality — dark indeed, and impenetrable 
to human sight, yet withal so easily dissolved that with the 
next breath it may melt away. 

Finally. From the glory of Christ, as seen on Tabor, we 
may learn something of our own future glory. "Beloved, 
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear 
what we shall be ; but we know that when he shall appear 
we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is." Like 
Jesus! But who can compass such a thought? We may 
rise on the eagle- wings of fancy, and following the soarings 
of patriarchs and prophets, strive to scale the immeasurable 
heights which separate us from the Sun of our destiny, but 
it will only be to feel our pinions falter at length, and to 
be compelled to drop down to the mists and shadows of 
earth again. Like Jesus! "Now we know in part, but 
when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also 
appear with him in glory." 



SERMON XV. 

The Loss of the Soul. 

" For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, 
and lose his own soul?" (Matt. xvi. 26.) 

A MOKE solemn question than this it were impossible 
to propound. It is moreover of universal applica- 
tion, addressing itself not to a solitary class, but to every in- 
dividual member of our race. It claims attention of those 
who, rioting in sin and sunk in ignominy, forget that they 
have souls and are more than the mere tenants of the pres- 
ent; of those who, knowing themselves the heirs of immor- 
tality, and expecting an eternity of bliss, are yet strangely 
unmindful of the conditions on which that felicity is sus- 
pended, and are wholly absorbed in the pursuit of the van- 
ities around them; of those too who, though the subjects of 
forgiven sin, a renewed heart, and a lively hope, are prone 
to underrate their privileges, and in an evil hour to bar- 
ter for momentary pleasures the inestimable purchase of 
a Saviour's blood. The question is adapted to startle the 
most careless, and to exert a salutary influence on all. 
Kept constantly before us, pondered thoughtfully and 
prayerfully, happiest results would follow. Earth would 
become an Eden; every energy enlisted on the side of 
godliness ; our chief desire and aim the glory of God and 
the salvation of our souls. 

My friends, in all earnestness and tenderness, I would 
press this question on your attention to-day. I feel deeply 
anxious for your eternal welfare. I would have you re- 
gard the salvation of the soul of permanent importance. I 
would have you willing to make any sacrifice to secure it; 



The Loss of the Soul. 



183 



ready to face any difficulty, to undergo any hardship, to 
bear any shame, to suffer any death, rather than miss 
heaven. God grant that when this question has been 
considered, and the inevitable and momentous conclusion 
reached, you may not be found unmoved, having your 
counterpart in Lot's sons-in-law in Sodom, to whom, in his 
solicitude, "he seemed as one that mocked;" or like Lot 
himself, undecided, loath to leave the substance he had ac- 
cumulated, lingering regretfully amid the precincts of in- 
iquity; or like his wife, who, fleet of foot at first, sped well 
toward the mount of safety, but soon, wearying, looked back 
on the deserted mansion, and for her unbelief and pride 
miserably perished. Rather may salvation appear to you 
of highest moment; and seeking pardon and renewal, may 
you, " by patient continuance in well-doing," obtain at last 
"eternal life/' 

In order that the question may have its proper weight, 
and be of the largest practical utility, let us consider first, 
what is implied in gaining the w T hole world ; and secondly, 
what in losing the soul. Having dwelt on each particular, 
we shall be better able to contrast them, and be more deep- 
ly impressed therewith. Consider, 

I. What is implied in gaming the whole world. 

There is no necessity that by this we understand universal 
empire. It rather denotes the enjoyment of all the satis- 
faction which this world can afford a rational creature. 
Let us suppose a person to have thus gained the whole 
world. Every physical endowment is his. He is a stran- 
ger to deformity and disease. Few indeed are thus highly 
favored. Our sympathy is often touched by the spectacle 
of dwarfed limbs, sightless orbs, and speechless tongues. 
Troublesome days and wearisome nights are appointed unto 
many. In addition to exemption from physical ills, this 
man has all those outward advantages so commonly desired, 



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such as rank, affluence, and fame. We may consider him 
as occupying some exalted office, the highest in his coun- 
try's gift. The smiles of the nation are showered on him. 
His name is trumpeted by every lip, heard alike in modest 
hovel and proudest hall. Heroic deeds are told of him; 
he has wrought deliverance for the people. Visit his 
home: all natural and artificial beauties are there; the 
skill of the architect has been tasked to plan and decorate 
the gorgeous edifice in which he lives; trees and shrubs 
from every clime have been brought to enrich the scene; 
flowers the rarest and loveliest shed their perfume on the 
ambient air; the landscape commands an unequaled com- 
bination of all that is sublime and picturesque in mountain, 
mead, and sea. Enter the magnificent abode: sculpture, 
with all its delicacy of outline and expression, is there; 
paintings, such as make canvas breathe, enchant the eye ; 
melodies as soul-stirring and divine as ever fell from mor- 
tal lyre float upon the ear; here is found all that can 
minister to the satisfaction of the most cultivated taste. 
We must grant the individual we are describing every nat- 
ural indulgence. He is an epicure, and fares sumptuously 
every day; far-distant lands yield to him their luxuries, 
and all the ingenuity of culinary art is put in requisition to 
gratify his palate. The most polished and refined society 
is his; the titled and honorable flock to his receptions, 
and gather at his festal-board ; friends on whose attach- 
ment he can rely, whose joy it is to anticipate his slight- 
est wish, and who would peril life itself in his behalf, sur- 
round him. Morever, he is preeminently wise. There is 
more than outward splendor to attract attention and awak- 
en admiration. Genius may be ascribed to him. He has 
a mind endowed with keenest insight, loftiest imagination, 
soundest judgment, and most untiring application. Won- 
drous are the acquisitions he has made: the lore of antiq- 



The Loss of the Soul. 



185 



uity has been mastered ; the circle of the sciences has been 
explored. He can discourse with interest and satisfaction 
on obscure questions of the past ; can harmonize the seem- 
ing discrepancy between the deductions of science and the 
utterances of inspired truth ; can estimate the distances of 
the stars, their magnitude and weight ; can unfold the prop- 
erties of minerals and plants, and the various uses to which 
they may be applied ; can decide the most intricate points 
of law relating to the rights and privileges of individuals; 
can show the equipoise which secures the harmony and the 
provisions which maintain the well-being of society; can 
forecast the future with almost a prophet's ken, and from 
springs of action too latent to be observed by common 
minds predict the struggles and upheavals that will rock 
the earth, the course of empire, and the rise and fall of 
dynasties and nations. Men speed to him as to olden ora- 
cle. It is with him as with Job, who, recalling vanished 
prosperity, could say: "Unto me men gave ear, and wait- 
ed, and kept silence at my counsel. After my words they 
spake not again ; and my speech dropped upon them. And 
they waited for me as for the rain ; and they opened their 
mouth wide as for the latter rain." There remain but one 
or two touches to complete the picture. We must suppose 
this man a stranger to an awakened conscience. Thoughts 
of judgment and retribution are unknown to him. No 
fabled Furies pursue him, grim and awful to look upon, 
clothed with black and blood-stained robes, and serpents 
wreathing around their heads instead of locks of hair. 
His days are calm and peaceful — a sail over a silver sea, 
with gentle zephyrs to waft him forward, and no omen of 
disaster to darken and depress his spirit. Allow him now 
the longest period of human life; suppose the lengthening 
years to bring no wrinkle to his brow, nor halting to his 
step ; age to find him like the leader of Israel on Nebo, 



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" with his eye not dimmed, nor his natural force abated." 
Here, then, is the man Avho has gained the whole world; 
here is he who has reaped all the enjoyment it is capable 
of yielding an intelligent being. A dazzling picture, truly ! 
Look at it, ye lovers of the world, ye votaries of time. 
Here is one of your number who has reached the sun-lit 
summit to which you would attain. Here is one who has 
realized all the bliss for which adventurers have dug, and 
philosophers have pondered, and poets have sung, and 
warriors have bled. O the titles, the honors, the riches, the 
pleasures, the talents, the influence, that are his! The 
whole world! And yet, like the ancient Egyptians, who 
sobered the merriment of their feasts by the exposure of a 
human skull, I would repress - desire by putting to you the 
question of the text: "What is a man profited, if he shall 
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Consider, 

II. What is implied in losing the soul. 

We can depict to ourselves all that is implied in gaining 
the world ; it is impossible, however, to more than faintly 
conceive what is involved in the loss of the soul. To lose 
the soul is to lose the world. Yes, that very world for 
which the soul's salvation was neglected and despised is 
forfeited at death. With the surrender of the spirit ex- 
pires its lease on all the enjoyments of time. " We brought 
nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry 
nothing out." The hand that grasped the reins of empire 
must then relax its hold. The eye must dim that gazed in 
rapture on the varied charms of flood and field, and 
kindled proudly at the sight of lordly mansion and of fair 
domains. The ear grows dull and cold that drank in 
earth's pleasant harmonies, childhood's carol, the bird's 
sweet matin, the plash of blooklets, and the lullaby of 
summer winds. O if there has been no preparation for 
heaven, if its gates of pearl flash not upon the eye, and 



The Loss of the Soul. 



187 



its sounds of melody steal not upon the ear, how terrible 
to bid adieu to time! A new scene bursts upon the dis- 
embodied spirit. Where here the sovereignty which Nim- 
rod planned, which Alexander conquered, and which Ca> 
sar essayed? Where here, indeed, the smallest pleasure 
for which mortals sigh? The canopy is cheered by no sun 
or moon or stars; the expanse reveals no verdant mount 
or smiling plain; proud cities loom not through the 
gloom; luxury and ease have here no seat; wealth and 
fame have here no praise. The soul awakes to find itself 
bereft of every joy — a homeless wanderer amid a wilderness 
of woe. 

To lose the soul is not only to lose the world, but to lose 
heaven. Heaven is the acme of perfection. It is the royal 
residence of Deity ; the place where he unveils his grand- 
eur, and lavishes his goodness in fullest measure. Earthly 
images have been exhausted to set forth its blessedness. It 
is a kingdom, and as such it is immovable and enduring; 
its inhabitants are all kings and priests unto God ; white 
robes are worn by them, indicative of their spotless purity, 
and palms are waved by them in token of their conquests 
and renown. It is a city, and as such its walls are of jas- 
per, and its streets of transparent gold ; it needeth not the 
light of the sun, for it is bathed and beautified by the more 
brilliant light of the Lamb; the nations of the saved walk 
in it; and it resounds with song and praise, the chorus of a 
great multitude, as the voice of many waters, and as the 
voice of a great thunder. It is a paradise, and as such it 
is redolent with sweetness and teeming with felicity; the 
Lord God walketh in it, and angels are more familiarly 
known than when they sung to unfallen man ; the tree of 
life is here also, and so fruitful that it bears every month, 
so versatile that its produce is of twelve sorts, applicable to 
every want and taste; and so accessible that, instead of be- 



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ing protected by a flaming sword, it stands in the public 
streets. O the unspeakable felicity of heaven! O the 
grandeur and gladness and glory that immortally reign 
in that consecrated spot! Thought cannot compass it; 
tongue cannot celebrate it. There sin never enters ; there 
sorrow is unknown; no shadows dim the sky; no night al- 
ternates w T ith day. The river of bliss rolls on with cease- 
less and unruffled flow. Joy never fades ; life never dies. 
Ask yourselves then how great must be that loss which 
eu tails the loss of heaven. O to be excluded from its spot- 
less joys ; to see yawning between a great gulf, black and 
bottomless, which no bridge can ever span, and no wing 
can ever cross; to be imprisoned where the only sounds are 
those of agony, and the only sights those of misery ; how 
terrible, how appalling ! The loss of the soul, however, 
implies not only the loss of the world and the loss of heav- 
en, but the infliction of extreme, positive misery. It is 
by no means agreeable to me to dwell on the horrors of 
hell. I shudder as I think of the awful doom shadowed 
forth by " the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is never 
quenched." Tell me not that these are mere earthly fig- 
ures. God can no more make a false impression on the 
human mind by the use of figures, than he can lead men 
into error by the plainest and most positive declarations ; 
for both would be alike contrary to the divine veracity. 
O I tell you there is meaning in the burning pit and the 
ascending smoke, the fiery thirst and the gnawing pain, 
the wailing discord and the harsh dissonance of gnashing 
teeth ! These images, I believe, but imperfectly convey the 
misery of the damned. The reality is beyond the power of 
man to conceive or understand. "Fear not them which 
kill the body," is the Saviour's significant utterance, " but 
arc not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is 
able to destroy both soul and body in hell." 



The Loss of the Soul. 



189 



The loss of the soul will be irreparable. The punish- 
ment of sin is expressly declared in Scripture to be eternal. 
Daniel tells us that the wicked shall rise " to shame and 
everlasting contempt." Our Lord asserts that they " shall 
go away into everlasting punishment ; " and Paul, that they 
shall be "punished with everlasting destruction from the 
presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power." 
The instrument of their punishment is spoken of as "ever- 
lasting fire/' and the destruction' of the wicked is called 
" eternal damnation." 

You have now been directed to the two opposite pictures 
presented by the text. Gaze on them both; turn from one 
to the other ; ponder them deeply, and now answer the 
question, "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the 
whole world, and lose his own soul?" One or two consider- 
ations may help you to answer this question. Consider 
that the gain of the world is but temporary — the loss of 
the soul eternal. 

We may suppose a man to possess for long years all that 
this world is capable of yielding. We may grant him 
friendships, fond as love can twine them, pleasures choice 
as heart could covet, honors high above ambition, wealth 
whereat the world would wonder, and a home where meet 
all the joys man's thought can image. But all these de- 
lights he must leave at death. Home, gold, friends, lands, 
equipage, all vanish with that stroke. He then enters on 
eternity. O how terrible, if an eternity of pain ! What 
is he profited, though he has gained the whole world ? Of 
what advantage the highest earthly bliss, though prolonged 
a thousand years, if succeeded by a night of never-ending 
woe? Suppose a ball of sand as large as the whole earth — 
suppose a grain of this to be annihilated every thousand 
years — which would be the better, to be happy while the 
ball was thus slowly wasting away, and miserable ever aft- 



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er? or to be miserable during the time it was consuming, 
and happy ever after? Would not a wise man prefer the 
latter, seeing that all the ages in which the ball was con- 
suming would bear infinitely less proportion to eternity than 
a drop of water to the ocean, or a grain of sand to the 
whole earth? 

Consider that the happiness derived from the gain of the 
world is imperfect — the misery entailed by the loss of the 
soul is complete. We may suppose a man to have reached 
the highest altitudes of human prosperity. We may sup- 
pose him to enjoy all the satisfaction which such unwonted 
prosperity can impart; yet without God, a knowledge of 
his favor, an assurance of his smile, though he may have 
no fear of future punishment, his happiness will be incom- 
plete. Man's chief good can consist in nothing inferior. 
The soul that was stamped with the image of its Maker has 
boundless capacities, and will content itself with nothing 
less than the infinite and immortal. God is the source and 
fountain of its blessedness. Attempt to satisfy it with earth- 
ly enjoyments — it is to feed it with husks, and not with the 
living bread. O there is no real happiness for man but in 
union and intercourse with his Creator and Redeemer! 
This happiness is inward and abiding. It is superior to 
earthly disaster and distress. When health declines, when 
friends forsake, when the fig-tree no longer blossoms, when 
worldly resources are dried up, when death threatens, it re- 
mains to comfort and to bless. We say not that the man 
who has gained the whole world has no pleasures; but as - 
compared with that of the Christian, it is as the flickering 
torch in the blaze of the noonday sun. This imperfect 
happiness of his gives place to completest miseries. The 
pains of a lost soul know no alleviation. There is no balm 
to mitigate the bitter cup. The penalty is always full and 
overflowing. No star glimmers in the firmament; no joy 



The Loss of the Soul. 



191 



relieves the everlasting gloom. What then is a man prof- 
ited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own 
soul? What advantageth it him to enjoy the highest hu- 
man happiness, unworthy at the best, and lie down at last 
in hopeless, most intense anguish? 

The question of the text is rendered still more impress- 
ive when we reflect that the gain of the world is practically 
impossible, while the loss of the soul, if the world be its 
chief object of pursuit, is inevitable. You must have ob- 
served that the gain of the world is simply a supposition. 
" What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world?" 
No one could ever boast of such possession. There have 
been individuals who have experienced many of this world's 
pleasures — none who have enjoyed them all. "Naaman 
was a great man with his master, and honorable, because 
by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria ; he was 
also a mighty man of valor ; but he was a leper." True 
picture of human life! The worm is at the root of the fair- 
est gourd ; and the tallest peaks are swept by the coldest 
blasts. How many kings have groaned under the burden 
of their crowns, and sunk down and died! How many 
have exchanged the monarchy for the monastery, and re- 
tired into privacy, there hoping to find a peace which their 
thrones denied them ! You may seek the joys of the world, 
but few of them will you obtain; and in placing your hap- 
piness in their possession, you will assuredly lose your own 
soul. The point for you to decide then is, whether you 
will give time and thought and energy to the pursuit of 
the world, the gain of which is uncertain and limited and 
unsatisfying at most, and in the end lose your own soul ; 
or whether you will dedicate yourselves unreservedly to 
God, holding the world light in comparison with obedience 
to his will, and in the end have everlasting life. 

" How long halt ye between two opinions ? " " Choose ye 



Sermons by i?. L. Harper. 



this day whom ye will serve." O that I could hear you say, 
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Wise 
would be your decision. It might not seem so to many 
now, but it would so appear to all at the last day. O the 
reward that awaits every self-denying follower of Christ! 
"Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever 
shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same 
shall save it." Yes, if we suffer with him, we shall also 
reign with him. If we take part in his reproach, we shall 
share his exaltation and triumph. Glance from time to 
eternity; look from earth to heaven. Here the gay and 
fashionable may despise you; there the blessed angels will 
greet you. Here carnal pleasures may go untasted ; there 
highest spiritual raptures will refresh you. Here wealth 
and pomp may be sacrificed for righteousness ; there an in- 
heritance incorruptible shall be your portion. Here the 
taunt and the scorn may oft oppress you ; there the voice 
of Jesus shall approve vou, and vou shall hear the ineffa- 
ble " Well done ! " 

I have read of an Australian steamer that was wrecked 
in sight of her destined port. A number of adventurers 
were aboard, who had returned to their native land after 
long years of absence and toil amid distant mines. Anx- 
ious to save their fortunes, many of them fastened their 
gold about their waists and sprung into the waters, but 
were weighed down and drowned by the incubus. One 
man was observed to hold poised in his hand a belt of the 
precious metal. He looked at it regretfully; it was the 
result of brave years of labor and struggle and self-de- 
nial. He had hoped to purchase with it ease and compe- 
tency in his native land. With one wild whirl, however, 
be flung it far out into the waves, then, leaping in, swam 
safely to shore. A wise man, truly! Better far to lose a 
fortune than to lose life; and better far to lose the world 
and life itself than to lose the soul. 



The Loss of the Soul. 



193 



that none of us may ever forget the question propound- 
ed by the text! Amid our eventful history as a people, 
amid the stirring questions constantly rising and pressing 
on the mind for solution, amid the strife of opinion, the 
war of partisanship, and the clamor of excited passions, 
may we hear, high above all, loud as a thunder-peal, wak- 
ing the deep heaveus, the solemn query, "What is a man 
profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own 
soul?" 



SERMON XVI. 

The Christian Ministry. 

" Brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free 
course, aud be glorified." (2 Thess. iii. 1.) 

THE missionary zeal of St. Paul must deeply impress 
the thoughtful student of his life and labors. From 
the time of his conversion to the period of his death, the 
one consuming passion of his soul was the universal diffu- 
sion and acceptance of the gospel. It is astonishing what 
sufferings he endured in behalf of this object. "In weari- 
ness and painfullness, in watchings often, in hunger and 
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." "But 
none of these things moved him, neither counted he his life 
dear unto himself, so that he might finish his course with 
joy, and the ministry which he had received of the Lord 
Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." 

It is supposed that the apostle was at Corinth when he 
solicited the prayers of the Thessalonian converts. That 
proud, luxurious city, with its corrupt habits and debasing 
superstitions, presented many obstacles to the triumph of 
the truth. The apostle was bent on making it a strong- 
hold for Christ. The truth, however, could not prevail un- 
less accompanied by divine power. It was the secret ener- 
gy which had been the cause of its success in the past. It 
was this which had startled the attention of the haughty 
Jew, quelled the prejudice of the intolerant Samaritan, and 
bowed with shame the idolatrous inhabitants of Galatia. 
It was this which had so recently given the gospel a foot- 
hold in Thessalonica, notwithstanding the specious argu- 
ments of error and the fierce onset of persecution. Hence 



i 



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in writing to the Thessalonians, reverting to the source of 
past achievements and feeling the absolute need of divine 
assistance in his work at Corinth, the apostle urges them, 
among other duties, to remember him and his co-laborers at 
the throne of grace. " Brethren, pray for us, that the word 
of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as 
it is with you." 

The subject of discourse will be the Christian Ministry 
First, the object which it proposes; secondly, the opposition 
which it encounters ; and thirdly, one of its principal sup- 
ports. 

I. The object which it proposes. 

You will perceive from the text that this object is two- 
fold — the universal spread and reception of the gospel. 
" That the word of the Lord may have free course, and be 
glorified." 

It should never be forgotten that the ministry is an insti- 
tution of Christ. It is not the upgrowth of governmental 
policy nor an outflow of merely personal philanthropy. It 
is a wise and gracious agency set in motion by divine love, 
and quickened and perpetuated by divine power. Over 
eighteen centuries have elapsed since it received its com- 
mission to evangelize the world. With varying fortune, but 
with unquenchable resolve, it has clung to its great object 
through all these years. Its progress is confessedly slow. 
The reign of truth is far from universal. Still the ministry 
is not discouraged. It buoys itself up with the hope of fi- 
nal conquest. It lives and labors, believing that the w T orld 
will yet be mantled with the beauties of holiness as with 
the dews of morning. Truth is mighty and shall prevail, 
for it comes "not in word only, but also in power and in 
the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." All human 
speculations fail, this abideth. " The voice said, Cry. And 
he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the 



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goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field; the grass 
withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall 
stand forever." Its divine origin and attendant evidence 
insure its triumph. Though opposed, persecuted, maligned, 
it will infallibly vindicate its illustrious birth and native 
greatness. It is a hammer, and in the course of time will 
break the rock in pieces. It is a leaven, and erelong it 
will permeate the entire mass of humanity. It is as a grain 
of mustard-seed, and is destined to become a plant of un- 
rivaled stature and renown. Yes, "the word of the Lord 
shall have free course, and be glorified;" not only at home 
but abroad ; not only among the refined, the scholarly, the 
astute, but among the ignorant, the superstitious, the pro- 
fane. Darkness shall flee away; the fields shall whiten 
unto harvest; Jesus shall see of the travail of his soul, and 
be satisfied. O the joy of those coming times ! I ascend 
the watch-tower of revelation, and through the mist of the 
ages catch glimpses of the glory to be revealed. I see the 
will of God done on earth as it is in heaven ; I see Jews 
and Gentiles together glorying in the cross; I see Africa 
converted to God; I see the isles of the sea ingathered to 
Christ; I see the domains of the False Prophet emancipat- 
ed from their degradation; I see the temple of Buddha su- 
perseded by the temple of Jehovah ; I see the snow and ice 
of the polar regions illuminated by the beams of the Sun of 
righteousness ; and I hear the voice of a great multitude as 
a voice of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia, for the 
Lord God omnipotent reigneth ! " 

You ask, Is this hope of the ministry warranted by Script- 
ure? We believe it is. Did time permit, we might enu- 
merate many passages which predict the ultimate triumph 
of the gospel ; but we confine ourselves to a limited se- 
lect ion. Ponder the seventy-second Psalm. David, when 
near the close of life, predicts the grandeur and prosperity 



1 



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197 



which should mark the reign of his son. It is easy to per- 
ceive from the terms employed that he refers not simply to 
Solomon, but to that greater Son who in later times should 
sit upon the throne of David his father. The horizon of 
his vision widens as he climbs the hill of prophecy, until 
the kingdom of Israel is but a solitary province in the far- 
reaching empire which stretches beneath him. 

The dominion of Messiah extends from sea to sea, and 
from the river unto the ends of the earth. At his feet the 
dwellers in the wilderness, the inhabitants of the isles, the 
occupants of thrones, bow in humble and grateful submis- 
sion. Yea, all kings fall down before him, all nations 
serve him. The establishment of his kingdom, it is inti- 
mated, will be gradual. From original insignificance and 
obscurity, it attains to universal ascendency and power. 
The symbol under which its progress is portrayed is, "a 
handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mount- 
ains." In human estimation nothing could be more im- 
probable than its growth. Planted in this unkindly soil — 
the bleak summits of pride and world liness, ingratitude and 
rebellion, it nevertheless takes root, and miraculously sus- 
tained, propagates itself until, covering every slope with its 
fruit, it waves in the wind and shakes like the cedars of 
Lebanon. This kingdom is declared to be indestructible. 
It will continue so long as the sun and moon endure, 
throughout all generations. Its crowning glory will be the 
universal blessedness it finally diffuses. Its supremacy is 
marked not by violence and blood, but by righteousness 
and peace. The scepter of its King is wielded in behalf of 
the poor, the needy, and him that hath no helper. "Men 
are blessed in him ; all nations call him blessed." 

Turn now to the second chapter of the Book of Daniel. 
It records the forgotten dream of the Babylonish despot and 
its interpretation by the seer. The image, great and terri- 



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ble, uniting in itself the strength and splendor of successive 
monarchies, stands as a whole, the embodiment of evil. 
What shall overthrow the grim, defiant form? In the dis- 
tance a small, rough, unpolished stone appears. But for 
the mysteriousness of its origin — "cut out of a mountain 
without hands" — we should turn away from it in contempt. 
This is Christianity. And lo, as we look on it, it moves ! 
No natural force impels it ; it has in itself a hidden life. 
Its course is toward the insulting image. On, on it speeds, 
gathering fresh momentum from every revolution, till with 
resistless stroke it smites the colossal shape. "Then was 
the iiOn, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken 
to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer 
threshing-floor; and the wind carried them away, that no 
place was found for them." A complete destruction ! The 
image was not only shivered to pieces but its very frag- 
ments were borne away by the winds of heaven. And now 
the stone, at first so small and unpretending, became a 
great mountain, " and fills the whole earth." Evil vanishes 
from the scene, and in its stead is good, majestic, world- 
wide, and enduring. 

Study the Epistle to the Romans. The unchurching of 
the Jewish nation is there explained and vindicated by the 
apostle. It was in punishment of their pride and unbelief; 
but their rejection is not final; "God hath not cast away 
his people which he foreknew." "Blindness in part is hap- 
pened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come 
in. And so all Israel shall be saved." It is clear that a 
day approaches when the Jews will confess Jesus to be the 
promised Messiah, which confession will be followed by 
mighty efforts on their part to evangelize the world. Hence 
the queries: "Now if the fall of them be the riches of the 
world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gen- 
tiles, how r much more their fullness?" "For if the casting 



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199 



away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall 
the receiving of them be but life from the dead ? " 

Who then will dare aver that the object which the min- 
istry proposes is unwarranted by Scripture? My brethren, 
we are engaged in no uncertain warfare. We fight not as 
one who beateth the air. Every stroke tells. Slowly may 
we advance to universal empire, nevertheless it awaits us. 
Immanuel shall reign. The cross shall triumph. The 
word of truth shall prevail. "The glory of the Lord shall 
be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." 

We now turn from the object which the ministry pro- 
poses, to consider, 

II. The opposition which it encounters. 

That such opposition exists may be inferred from the re- 
quest, " Brethren, pray for us ; " as also from the sequence 
anticipated, "that the word of the Lord may have free 
free course, and be glorified." 

When we remember the natural depravity of man, his 
aversion to holiness, his inclination to evil, we are not sur- 
prised that the promulgation of a system like the gospel, so 
pure, so heavenly, should awaken opposition. The annals 
of the past but reveal the deep-seated dislike of mankind to 
the reign of righteousness and truth, and their sanguinary 
efforts to thwart the few who would promote it. 

Look at the opposition which the ministry encountered 
in earliest times. It is difficult now to estimate the strength 
which was then arrayed against it. We must transport 
ourselves in thought to days when Koman emperors were 
deified; when Greek and Jewish demagogues fierce with 
prejudice w T ere rife; and when the dreams of Homer and 
the traditions of the elders molded the morals of the peo- 
ple. The gospel was no sooner proclaimed than every 
thing rose up to oppose it. The leaders of thought de- 
nounced it. Its doctrine of the cross was stigmatized as 



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foolishness; it was too humbling to self, too mortifying to 
human pride. The habits of the multitude were at war 
with it; unlike other systems, it pandered to no sinful pro- 
clivity, it condemned evil tempers, impure thoughts, and 
vain imaginations. False worships took counsel against it ; 
it must be suppressed, as it threatened to undermine belief 
in the authority of priesthoods, the sanctity of shrines, and 
the entity of the gods. National feeling was averse to it ; it 
was too cosmopolitan in its character to be readily em- 
braced by the contracted sympathies of the times. The 
civil sword was unsheathed against it ; it was thought to be 
an enemy to the State, the fomenter of strife and discord. 
Before the gospel could surmount the opposition of early 
times, the track of its triumph was red with the blood of 
saints. O the host of witnesses " who were slain for the 
word of God, and for the testimony which they held!" 
We think of them to-day — Polycarp, of Smyrna; Ignatius, 
of Antioch ; the martyrs of Lyous and Vienna, and millions 
more whose names have been long forgotten. 

Look at the opposition which the ministry encountered 
from the papacy. That intolerant and wide-spread corrup- 
tion would have buried the truth in oblivion and flung a 
pall of darkness over the hopes of man. And how terri- 
bly did it wrestle for the mastery ! We think of the Wal- 
denses, driven from their peaceful valleys to perish among 
mountain snows. We think of Smithfield and its tires; of 
St. Bartholomew's night of blood. We think of Huss and 
Jerome, of Prague ; of Ridley, and Latimer, and Cranmer, 
and the thousands of others whose lives were sacrificed on 
the altar of bigotry and cruelty. 

Look at the opposition which the ministry encount- 
ers at present. We still have our foes, both at home and 
abroad. There is paganism, like a stagnant sea unruf- 
fled by a healthful breeze, sending forth its poisonous va- 



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201 



pors and making the most glorious portion of the globe one 
vast moral charnel-house. There is Mohammedanism, like 
the simoom of its own native desert, darkening the center 
of the old world, proudly careering up and down its do- 
main, and showering its blinding, blasting errors on the 
minds and hearts of millions. There is Romanism, strong in 
its seeming weakness, applying every restorative to regain its 
lost vigor and win back the throne of its ancient empire ; lull- 
ing to slumber its opponents by peaceful assurances while se- 
cretly concocting the means of their overthrow 7 , under hues as 
harmless as those of the chameleon, preparing to strike with 
the venom of the viper. There is infidelity, a floating iceberg 
which the sun of centuries has not thawed, looming up now 
in meretricious splendor, but chilling every wave and cur- 
rent of upward thought and noble impulse which may come 
within the scope of its influence. There is indifference, the 
hardened thoroughfare of parabolic painting, not absolute- 
ly rejecting the seeds of divine truth, but refusing them a 
place in the understanding and affections, careless whether 
they be abstracted by the hovering birds of evil or buried 
and crushed by the thronging feet of vanity. There is 
formalism, content with a punctilious observance of the 
rites and ceremonies, probing never to the heart's deep core 
and discovering its hidden wants; in Church-fellowship 
finding an anodyne for occasional fear, and with Heaven's 
wrath lowering upon it, singing softly to itself of peace and 
safety. And there is lukewarmness, professing attachment 
to Christ but sacrificing his truth to the circumstances of 
the hour ; compromising principle for the sake of worldly 
expediency, and attempting the vain experiment of serving 
both God and mammon. 

Such, my brethren, are some of the foes with which the 
ministry has to contend at the present hour. From the op- 
position which it encounters we proceed to consider, 



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III. One of its principal supports — the prayers of the 
Church. "Brethren, pray for us." 

It is common for skeptics to ascribe the early triumphs 
of Christianity to causes independent of divine agency. 
Christianity is represented as one of those rival systems 
which have originated in the East, and have been borne 
forward to success by a wave of popular enthusiasm. The 
fact is altogether ignored that there exists a marked differ- 
ence between Christianity and all other systems of religious 
belief, as to its nature and the manner of its propagation. 
Christianity is the embodiment of purity and love; other 
systems are supremely sensual and selfish. Christianity 
propagates itself by simple self-assertion, sustained, as it 
claims, by the secret but mighty power of the Holy Ghost. 
Other systems propagate themselves through the influence 
of the sword, sinful congeniality, or superstitious fear. Xo 
analogy can legitimately be drawn between the success of 
Christianity and that of surrounding systems. It is in vain 
to point to the spread of Buddhism. That was but the 
natural development of a dreamy imagination, seeking to 
harmonize dim traditions with observed facts and native 
idiosyncrasies, and was in fullest sympathy with the 
thoughts, opinions, prejudices, inclinations, and interests 
of the people among whom it spread. Much the same may 
be said of the religion of Mohammed. AVith its convenient 
laxity and its paradise of sensual delights, it appealed most 
powerfully to the depraved taste of the Arab race, and the 
use of the scimiter by its votaries is sufficient to exj:>lain its 
triumphs over adjacent nations. If is a significant fact, 
however, that while neither Buddhism nor Mohammedan- 
ism, unaided by worldly power, has made any important 
inroad on Christian countries, Christianity wielding only 
" the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," and 
at war with the enthroned corruptions of centuries, has 



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203 



been and is still prosecuting its conquests in every quarter 
of the globe. 

To-day, as of old, the ministry stands before you expect- 
ing to succeed in its grand purpose, not by inflaming hu- 
man passions nor by coercing the human will, but by the 
direct agency of God. We toil on with hope in our hearts, 
exclaiming with the apostle, "Not that we are sufficient of 
ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our suffi- 
ciency is of God!" Like him, over every fresh victory we 
raise the paean, "Now thanks be unto God which always 
causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the 
savor of his knowledge by us in every place." We have 
his promise, and on it we rely: "Lo, I am with you alway, 
even unto the end of the world." Our challenge is, "If 
God be for us, who can be against us?" Divine assistance! 
Give us that, and sooner or later we shall triumph ; let it 
be withheld, and we candidly confess to you that we must 
fail. Without Heaven's blessing, the most ingenious plans 
are foolishness, the most striking eloquence is driveling, the 
most gigantic efforts are powerless, the strongest alliance as 
impotent as infancy. It is not truth alone, not truth as 
advocated by lips of tenderness or learning, not truth as 
clothed with worldly pomp and power, but truth as attend- 
ed by the quickening influence of the Spirit, that shall sub- 
jugate the world. " The weapons of our warfare are mighty 
through God to the pulling down of strongholds." "Who 
then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye 
believed, as the Lord gave to every one?" "So then nei- 
ther is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth ; 
but God that giveth the increase." Divine assistance, 
however, is intimately connected with prayer. The largest 
communications are bestowed only to the cry of earnestness 
and faith. See then one of our principal supports — the 
prayers of the Church. O brethren, you can "pray for us, 



204 



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that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be 
glorified/' As auxiliary to our faith aud labor, it is our 
right and privilege to expect your cheerful and zealous co- 
operation. It is God's plan to afford opportunities to all, 
even the weakest of his servants, to aid in promoting the 
triumph of his word. All may not be called to the office 
of the ministry, but all can unite to give that office efficien- 
cy and might. Did you ever think of this, my brethren? 
Perhaps you have sometimes sighed that you were not sum- 
moned to be a watchman to the house of Israel. You have 
imagined to yourself what good you could have wrought 
had the office and opportunity been granted you. As it is 
you see but little to do, and often you sit and wonder for 
what purpose you are detained in this evil world. Ah! 
my brother, there is no telling how much good you may 
accomplish through the simple medium of prayer. That 
closet of yours may be converted into a Carmel, from whose 
calm sky shall descend the living flame upon the altars 
of the tribes of Israel. You have read, no doubt, of 
"the great awakening" which followed Jonathan Ed- 
wards's sermon on the text, " Their feet shall slide in due 
time." When the jDreacher entered the pulpit he thought 
he had never seen so listless a congregation ; but before he 
had been preaching long every eye was riveted, the Spirit 
of God began to move mightily upon the hearts of the peo- 
ple, insomuch that many sprung to their feet and clutched 
the pillars of the edifice, fearing that they were even then 
sliding into the pit. What was the secret of this amazing 
power? We are told that a short time before a number of 
pious persons had met and implored a special blessing 
on that service. I remember a church in which minis- 
ters loved to preach in preference to any church in that 
city — they seemed to enjoy more liberty, more unction, 
more power; and one of them, accounting for the difference 



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205 



in his feelings there, attributed it to the prayers of the mem- 
bers, many of whom met at sunrise every Sabbath and 
spent an hour together in earnest prayer for the success of 
the gospel that day. 

" Brethren, pray for us." We need more grace tomake 
full proof of our ministry at home. Sometimes we are 
strangely wanting in faith, and hence a corresponding lack 
of efficiency in our pulpit ministrations. We take up the 
sword of the Spirit and brandish it in the face of the foe, 
but we suddenly lose confidence in its power and strike with 
unsteady hand. We know what execution it has wrought 
in the past — how it smote the idols of Greece and Rome, 
how it cut its way through centuries of bloody opposition ; 
and yet such is the cowardice of our hearts we fear to trust 
wholly to it again. We are like the disciples on the storm- 
tossed Sea of Galilee. The Strength of Israel is with us, 
we have had multiplied evidence of his power, and yet we 
grow timid and afraid when in the darkness of night we 
hear the roar of the elements around us. " Pray for us, 
that utterance may be given unto us, that we may open our 
mouths boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel." 

But we have need of your prayers, not only for our suc- 
cess at home, but also for our success abroad. Our aim is 
to evangelize the world. We are resolved to rest not until 
Christ has, not merely in promise but in fact, "the heathen 
for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth 
for his possession." But how is our faith tried ! How many 
are our discouragements! Often we think ourselves on the 
eve of a wonderful triumph, when lo! some cruel edict is 
passed, or some desolating war is declared, and the deep 
thunder-cloud comes over our summer sky. Or perhaps 
in the midst of victory our most intrepid leader falls, and 
we look around us in vain for one competent to supply his 
place. " Brethren, pray for us," that undismayed by seem- 



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ing disaster we may go on with the battle, and possess the 
gates of our enemies. 

"That the word of the Lord may have free course, and 
be glorified." O was nobler, grander object ever set before 
a brotherhood of men? It is the subjugation of the world 
to Christ, it is its emancipation from the scepter of hell, 
and its restoration to the order, the holiness, and the happi- 
ness of heaven. 

Hail the day when angel voices shall say, "It is done! " 
Brethren, shall we not hasten this day of days? Shall we 
let selfishness or indolence keep us from participating in the 
holy warfare which is to end in such signal and universal 
triumph? O for more self-denial! 

When Alexander was about to start on his career of 
Eastern conquest he distributed among his friends nearly 
all his personal effects, and on being asked what he had re- 
served for himself replied, "My hopes!" Shall one be will- 
ing to relinquish so much and to enter upon a career so 
fraught with peril and uncertainty, attracted by the mere 
blaze of an evanescent glory? and shall not we, my breth- 
ren, ministers and laity, " crucify the flesh with the affec- 
tions and lusts," and by earnest prayer and effort assist in 
the consummation of a triumph the grandest in the uni- 
verse, and as certain as the truth of God, and for fidelity in 
which we shall be exalted to heavenly thrones, invested 
with enduring honors, and blessed with unspeakable de- 
lights? 



SERMON XVII. 



The Cities of Refuge. 



" The Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying, Speak to the children 
of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I 
spake unto you by the hand of Moses." (Josh. xx. 1, 2.) 

Ol IX of the cities of Israel were cities of refuge. These 



KD cities were not only a valuable provision of the civil 
government of the Israelites, but an important type of the 
redemption of the world by Christ. As such they assisted 
no doubt to sustain the faith and to quicken the hope of 
the ancient saints. It is true, the realities they prefigured 
could have been but dimly apprehended ; but to travelers 
walking in darkness, and longing for the dawn, even star- 
light is sweet. To us who bask in the bright rays of the 
Sun of righteousness the significance of this and similar 
types is more clearly seen ; and while no longer " shadows 
of good things to come," they are still of service as striking 
illustrations, giving point and interest to the great truths 
of the gospel, and furnishing, moreover, a class of fulfilled 
prophecies which show' conclusively the unity of the Old 
and New Testament Scriptures^ and the divine origin of 
both. 

That we do not err in regarding the cities of refuge as 
typical of "the salvation which is in Christ Jesus" is evi- 
dent from one or more allusions to be found in the writings 
of St. Paul ; but will be more obvious, perhaps, when we 
shall have traced the resemblance which we think we can 
see between these cities and some of the features of our re- 
demption. 




208 Sermons by R. L. ffarjief. 



1. Observe, first, these cities were decided on before they 
ivere designed for actual use. 

"The Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying, speak to the 
children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of ref- 
uge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses." It 
was some time before, while the Israelites were still in the 
wilderness, when they " wandered in a solitary way, and 
found no city to dwell in," that the command was given to 
Moses respecting the cities of refuge. A Saviour for our 
race was also determined on before the situation was such 
as to render his service possible. Our redemption was not 
an after-thought with God. It was arranged and provided 
for before man was brought into existence. Geologists de- 
light to tell us of the antiquity of our globe ; they speak of 
the countless cycles which must have elapsed since the pon- 
derous mass was summoned into being. But old as may 
be our planet, dateless as may be its calendar since its ap- 
pearance was greeted with the songs and shouts of the sons 
of God, the scheme of redemption is older still; for Christ, 
according to St. Peter, "verily was preordained before the 
foundation of the world." Should it not invest Jehovah 
with infinite attractiveness, should it not bind us to him in 
the most inviolable love to know that we were in his 
thoughts and plans, in his affections and desires, ages before 
the progenitors of our race drew breath, or our orb was 
called out of nothingness to assume its place in the bright 
sisterhood of stars? Indeed, there never was a period 
when our salvation was absent from the heart of God. St. 
Paul styles our redemption "the eternal purpose which he 
hath purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." " I have loved 
thee," he himself declares, " with an everlasting love." 
How great then must be the sin of those who have no ap- 
preciation of that love which has been flowing forth to 
them from the fountain of eternity! How sore will be 



The Cities of Refuge. 



209 



their punishment if they refuse to avail themselves of the 
refuge to be found in Christ — a refuge which was predeter- 
mined before a seraph sung, or a world sparkled in immen- 
sity ! O sinner, beware ! If the goodness of God is insuffi- 
cient to prompt you to seek the Saviour, let the awful 
consequences which must follow the thwarting, in your case, 
of his " eternal purpose " deter you from such indifference. 

2. Observe, secondly, these cities were appointed for the 
safety of those who had accidentally become exposed to the 
penalty of death. 

In early times, w T hen one person was killed by another, 
whether intentionally jor not, it was considered the duty of 
the nearest kinsman of the deceased to avenge his death 
by slaying the murderer. This method of maintaining the 
sanctity of human life was open to objection; an individual 
might be punished for a result which was entirely beyond 
his control. A merciful provision was therefore introduced 
into the civil polity of the Israelites by which protection 
was offered to those who had inadvertently deprived anoth- 
er of life. There were sanctuaries to which they might 
flee, and where, when their case had been heard and their 
innocence proved, they would be safe from the avenger of 
blood. The individuals for whom these cities were intend- 
ed have their counterpart in those for whom Christ was 
given. Our condition as fallen creatures, exposed to the 
penalty of a violated law, is, as it were, the result of acci- 
dent. We had no share in the sin of our first parents; yet, 
in consequence of their crime, we come into the world with 
depraved appetites and an unsanctified will, and find our- 
selves liable to everlasting punishment. For us, however, 
a Saviour has been provided — a city of refuge. To him we 
can flee, and obtain security for time and for eternity. It 
was in view of this fact that God permitted our existence. 
Never would he have allowed the world to be peopled with 
8* 



210 



Sermons by B. L. Harper. 



the posterity of Adam, had he not contrived the means of 
their salvation. Says St. Paul: "For the creature was 
made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him 
who hath subjected the same in hope." We ought not 
therefore to complain of God, because of our corrupt nat- 
ure and liability to eternal death. "As by the offense of 
one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even 
so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all 
men unto justification of life." No man will suffer any 
loss or injury, ultimately, by the sin of Adam, but by his 
own willful obstinacy. God will more than compensate us 
for our present trials, if we obey him and avail ourselves 
of the refuge which he has provided. Says the apostle: 
"For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are 
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be 
revealed to us." It is by the gift of his Son — of which our 
fall was the occasion — that God designs holding in perpetual 
and loving fealty the unfallen myriads of his creation. The 
unparalleled love exhibited in that gift is to be the gravi- 
tating principle of the moral universe. "For it pleased 
the Father that in him should all fullness dwell ; and hav- 
ing made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to 
reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say, whether 
they be things in earth or things in heaven." The key- 
stone occupies the highest and most conspicuous place in 
the arch. So Christ " is before all things, and by him all 
things consist." The Church is represented as " one body, 
of which Christ is the head." Believers, acquiescing in 
their present lot, bearing patiently its evils, have a " fel- 
lowship " with those sufferings w r hich secure the stability of 
angels as well as their own salvation. Suffering with 
Christ, they shall also reign with him. Says St. Paul : "In 
whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predes- 
tinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all 



The Cities of Refuge. 



211 



things after the counsel of his own will ; that we should be 
the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." He 
says again : " For which cause we faint not ; but though 
our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed 
day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a 
moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
weight of glory." Child of Adam, why repine at present 
ills ? O the sublime destiny which will be yours if obedi- 
ent "to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus! " It tran- 
scends that of the angels who worship before the throne. 
It is a portion to which Eden, had it been kept, would 
have been but a tiny drop in comparison with the bound- 
less deep. 

3. Observe, thirdly, these cities were so distributed as to be 
easily accessible from any point in the land. 

Three of them were on the east side of the Jordan, three 
of them were on the west. Less than a day's journey would, 
in most cases, bring the man-slayer to one of these cities. 
It was required that the roads leading to them should be 
kept in repair, and every facility was to be afforded to the 
fugitive in his endeavor to avail himself of their protection. 
See we not .a correspondence between the number and near- 
ness of these cities and the accessibility of Jesus Christ? 
Where is the spot in this world that Christ may not be 
foundry the guilty or inquiring sinner? In what circum- 
stances can w r e be placed that he will not be at hand as 
"our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble?" 
"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all 
that call upon him in truth." The Hindoo has rejoiced in 
him by the banks of the Ganges, and the Polynesian has 
sung of him in his tropic isle ; the Hottentot has learned 
to love him in his simple way, and the Indian has wept for 
joy to find himself secure in the Redeemer ; he has been 
found on the battle-field, in the surging tempest strewing 



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the shore with its wrecks, in the mine where no sunbeam 
penetrates, in the dungeon, in the hovels of the poor, in the 
heart of crowded cities, in the desert, on the lonely mount- 
ain-tops, and even amid polar snows. " The righteousness 
which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine 
heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is to bring 
Christ down from above) ; or, Who shall descend into the 
deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy 
mouth and in thy heart ; that is, the word of faith which 
we preach ; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the 
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath 
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." 

4. Observe, fourthly, these cities, when entered, gave instant 
security to the fugitives. 

Until within their gates, his life was in constant jeopardy. 
Should the avenger of blood overtake him before he had 
reached one of these places of refuge, he might be slain 
with impunity; but the moment he reached the city of 
refuge he was safe. The sword of the avenger must be 
sheathed. The elders of the city were bound to intervene, 
and to see that no violence was done to the man who had 
unwittingly slain his neighbor. Analogous to this is the 
security of the sinner on making application to Christ. The 
moment we believe on him, that moment we are saved ; the 
moment we commit ourselves unreservedly to his mercy, 
that moment he interposes to deliver us from our fears. The 
law of God may threaten us with its dreadful penalty, its 
glittering sword may be flashing on our track, its proxim- 
ity may be almost felt as we flee for shelter, but the instant 
we take hold of Christ as our personal Saviour, our adver- 
sary pauses, and we are no longer pursued. With such se- 
curity as was to be found in these cities of refuge, how fool- 
ish would it have been, in one who needed and could claim 



The Cities of Refuge. 



213 



their protection, to be slow in starting, or to loiter on the 
way ! No doubt there were those who did so. They were 
confident of their superior fleetness, and would not exert 
themselves till the avenger was in sight; or, thinking the 
avenger had not begun the pursuit, they reclined for awhile 
by some grassy fountain that bubbled by the way. We 
can imagine some to have fallen victims to their impru- 
dence. The avenger was upon them before they were 
aware. Springing up, they sped over the plain, alarm add- 
ing wings to their feet. But it was too late; with a fierce 
gleam in his eye, and a step that seemed tireless, the aveng- 
er of blood gained on them each moment. See, the city 
appears! there are its welcome gates! O that the fugitive 
could but reach their shelter ! But he pants for breath, 
his pace slackens, he stumbles, he falls! He is up again, 
but the avenger is on him, and the next instant his blood 
crimsons the white sand. Does not this depict the fate of 
many of the unconverted? They admit their danger, and 
declare their determination to avail themselves of the sal- 
vation which is in Christ. But they imagine their proba- 
tion to be long — that death is yet a great way off, and will 
come slowly, and that when they descry him there will be 
time enough to make application to Christ; or some spark- 
ling fountain of earthly pleasure beguiles them, and they 
sit down to quaff of its nectar and listen to its music, think- 
ing they will leave it by and by and set out in good earnest 
for the refuge there is in Christ. But, oblivious to the 
flight of time, they linger on until, to their surprise and 
horror, the last enemy appears. With a cry of agony and 
self-reproach they start from their recumbency, and haste 
to the refuge they have hitherto neglected ; but while one 
now and then, like the dying thief, may reach the gates 
and gain admission, the vast majority are so confused by 
their extreme peril that they go wildly and unsteadily to 



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Christ, and before they can come to him aright — before 
they can appropriate his merits — death overtakes them and 
consigns them to their doom. 

5. Observe, finally, these cities gave permanent safety to the 
refugee only on condition of his remaining within until the 
death of the high-priest. 

Should he wander without the walls before the specified 
time had expired, the avenger of blood, finding him, might 
lawfully take his life. We may suppose there would be 
times when he would feel a desire to pass without the gates, 
and enjoy the freedom and beauty of the rural walks be- 
yond. And there would be times when his heart would 
turn homeward, and he would long for the pleasures in 
which he had participated in other days. But it was at 
his peril that he ventured beyond the city; at an unex- 
pected moment the avenger might reappear, and his blood 
be the sad penalty of his temerity. His wisest course was 
to deny self, and abide within his place of refuge. The 
continued safety of believers also depends on their abiding 
in Christ. It is at the risk of eternal wrath that they for- 
sake the Saviour and trust themselves beyond the limits of 
his covenant. Says Christ, "Abide in me, and I in you." 
Says St. Paul : " Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of 
you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living 
God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to- 
day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitful- 
ness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we 
hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the 
end." It is lamentable, alas! how many, forgetting their 
dependence on Christ, have renounced him to their own 
destruction. Drawn away by some craving appetite, or se- 
duced by some glittering prospect, they have left their 
stronghold and been overtaken by Divine vengeance ere 
they could regain it. We think of Solomon ; we think of 



The Cities of Refuge. 



215 



Judas ; we think of Ananias and Sapphira. Others have 
only narrowly escaped. David, Jonah, Peter — death on 
his pale horse, and hell following, were but a few steps be- 
hind them, as with fleet foot they sped back to the city of 
their refuge. Not until the death of the high-priest could 
the refugees return to their own homes. Various spiritual 
interpretations have been given to this circumstance. My 
own view is, that as our own High-priest " hath an un- 
changeable priesthood " — being "made not after the law 
of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an end- 
less life," so while that life lasts, which will be eternally, 
we are to abide in him. So long as "it is witnessed that 
he liveth," nothing is " to separate us from the love of God 
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." It is true our stead- 
fastness will be assured in heaven. No avenger will lurk 
without the precincts of that holy city. Still, we shall al- 
ways be dependent on Christ. Is there light in heaven? 
" The Lamb is the light thereof." Is there song in heav- 
en? It is of "the Lamb that was slain." Is there bliss 
in heaven ? " The river, clear as crystal, proceedeth out 
of the throne of God and of the Lamb." Is there in- 
creasing satisfaction in heaven ? " The Lamb which is in 
the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead 
them unto living fountains of water." 

One question in conclusion: Are we in Christ? Have 
we availed ourselves of the refuge to be found in him? O 
sinner out of Christ, you are in awful danger. What! 
merry and careless, when perhaps you have only to listen, 
to put your ear to the ground, to catch the nearing tramp 
of the angel of death! Up! yonder, with its gates wide 
open, is the sanctuary where the avenger is powerless. 
Speed to it! Get within the shelter. of its protecting 
walls. 

Blessed be God, " there is no condemnation to them 



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which are in Christ Jesus." The covenant is confined 
not only to "the vow," but by the "oath" of Jehovah — 
" that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible 
for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who 
have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set be- 
fore us." 



SERMON XVIII. 

The Incomparable Teacher. 

" Never man spake like this man." (John vii. 46.) 

SUCH was the tribute which the teaching of Christ 
evoked from the officers who on one occasion were sent 
to arrest him. So powerful was the impression made upon 
them by his utterances that, awed at first into silence, and 
then moved to admiration, they refused to molest him, and 
returned to their superiors, excusing their 3isobedience by 
frankly affirming his wonderful and incontestable preemi- 
nence. However much their opinion was scorned by the 
authorities who sent them, the officers were right in their 
estimate of the Saviour. He was indeed an incomparable 
teacher. Through all the ages the world has never seen his 
equal. All others, however brilliant, however much revered, 
are to him as transient tapers in the blaze of the noonday sun. 
Indeed, as the Son of God he stands to others in the rela- 
tion of the ocean to the rivers, whose waters, however wide, 
and deep, may be traced back, through snow and rain, and 
cloud and wind, to the bosom of the great ocean itself. All 
truth, physical as well as moral and religious, by whomso- 
ever discovered and announced, has its origin in him. 
What were the characteristics of our Lord's teaching? 
I. Originality. 

This of course we might expect from one who was divine 
as well as human. His originality consists not so much in 
the communication of what was absolutely new as in the 
unfolding of what had been already given, but so vaguely 
as to have been only dimly apprehended, and that by com- 
paratively few. The central idea of his teaching was the 
near advent of a universal spiritual kingdom, of w T hich he 



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was to be the founder and ever-living and supreme head. 
In his Sermon on the Mount he delineates the character, 
work, and blessedness of the subjects of this kingdom. In 
a series of parables he depicts its progress in the world, en- 
countering opposition but awakening interest and inspiring 
love; gradually enlarging the area of its conquests until at 
last, from a state of obscurity and insignificance, it attains 
to vast proportions and unexampled power. The means by 
which his kingdom should be established is frequently de- 
clared. Its foundation must be laid in blood — not the blood 
of its adversaries, but of its King. His death, followed as 
it would be by his resurrection and ascension, would win 
for him the moral right to inaugurate such a kingdom, and 
give to him the necessary equipment for conducting it to a 
successful consummation. The terms of citizenship in this 
kingdom are simple, but comprehensive and nuvarying. 
There must be a renunciation of what is displeasing to 
Christ; there must be an acceptance of him as the only 
hope and safety of sinners; there must be an open avowal 
of attachment to his cause ; there must be an implicit and 
cheerful obedience to his commands. It is admitted that 
the announcement of the advent of such a kingdom was not 
altogether new. A few months before the Baptist had pro- 
claimed it to the eager multitudes who flocked to hear him 
in the wilderness. Daniel had predicted it, and other 
prophets who lived centuries before the birth of Christ. 
But declare a fact is one thing, to understand and to be 
able to explain it is quite another. With the Baptist and 
the ancient prophets the coming kingdom was little more 
than a name; to Christ it was a truth fully grasped in all 
its relations and significance. They had the hieroglyphics, 
but the strange characters perplexed them. Christ alone 
could decipher them and read out their hidden meanings. 
They had the beams and rafters, the marble and precious 



The Incomparable Teacher. 



219 



stones, but Christ alone possessed the draught, and knew 
how to fix them into the majestic temple. Their knowl- 
edge would have been of no practical-service but for the light 
which he shed upon it. It would have been like a valuable 
medicinal plant blooming at our door, but with its properties 
unknown. It would have been like steam, and electricity, 
and other forces of nature, before modern science discov- 
ered and applied their unsuspected powers. That the king- 
dom of Christ had long before been predicted is, after all, 
no impeachment of his originality. Christ was in the 
w r orld prior to his manifestation in the flesh. It was the 
Spirit of Christ who spoke in the ancient seers. Their de- 
lineations were not the deductions of their own reason, nor 
the pencilings of their own fancy, but the inspired disclos- 
ures of his unerring prescience. They were but so many 
successive stars heralding "the day-spring from on high." 
Like the summits of lofty mountains, they were gilded with 
a light which emanated from a sun as yet unrisen on the 
plains, but climbing upward to the horizon " in the great- 
ness of his strength." They simply bore "witness of the 
light." Far from shining independently of Christ, they 
recognized their dependence, and made his character and 
work the object of their study. "Of which salvation," 
says St. Peter, "the prophets have inquired and searched 
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come 
unto you; searching what, or what manner of time the 
Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it tes- 
tified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that 
should fallow." 

The originality of Christ is intimately connected with 
his claims to Godhead. Infidels have perceived this, and 
the most ingenious and persistent efforts have been made to 
discredit his originality. It is pretended that he was a 
disciple of Hillel, the famous Jewish rabbi. Others would 



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trace a resemblance between his doctrines and those of the 
philosophers of Athens and Alexandria, and of the sages of 
the East. The results of the investigation of the most im- 
partial criticism show that he was indebted to no such 
sources for his wisdom. His early life was passed in the 
isolation and seclusion of a humble village. Up to the 
commencement of his ministry he was engaged in manual 
toil. The contemptuous question of those who knew him 
was, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?" He 
had no opportunity for the acquirement of a thorough and 
polished education. The further question of those who 
were familiar with him was, "How knoweth this man let- 
ters, having never learned?" His intercourse with the 
rabbis was only for a few days when he was taken, a child 
of twelve years old, to one of the feasts of Jerusalem. 

It is worthy of note that " of all the Jewish sects then 
in vogue, none ever claimed Jesus as representing it, none 
ever branded him with the reproach of apostasy from its 
tenets." The leaders of Jewish thought were at variance 
with his teaching from the start. His pure spiritual con- 
ceptions seem never to have found a place in their hearts. 
They were exotics which would not bear to be transplanted 
to such cold, impervious soil. With Greek and Oriental 
scholars Christ had no association. He was only once be- 
yond the borders of Palestine, and that was when an in- 
fant. His doctrines too had little in common with the 
ideas current in the Gentile world. If to the Jew his 
teaching was a "stumbling-block," to the Greek it was 
foolishness. Ages have since demonstrated the. unparal- 
leled wisdom of his teaching. "Whence, then, hath this 
man this wisdom?" is still our challenge to the infidel. 
The only rational answer is that which assigns it to the 
fountain of his Godhead. 

II. A second characteristic of our Lord's teaching was au- 
thority. 



The Incomparable Teacher. 



221 



This feature was conspicuous from the first. It was no- 
ticed that he "taught as one having authority, and not as 
the scribes." The scribes reasoned, explained, appealed to 
Scripture and tradition, and based their conclusions upon 
a long array of arguments. He spoke as though he knew 
the truth intuitively, and had but to announce it to be en- 
titled to belief. Absoluteness, positiveness, imperativeness, 
are manifest in his voice and style and manner. He nev- 
er doubts the accuracy of his statements. He deals not in 
conjectures but affirmations. The assent of his hearers is 
not invited but demanded. As though superior to all hu- 
man legislators — not excepting Moses, who was inspired — 
he dares to revise, amend, expand laws which Avere received 
and reverenced as from God. His language is: "It hath 
been said by them of old time ; . . . but I say unto you," 
as though possessing an indefeasible right to the services of 
men. He selects his twelve apostles, and says to them, 
"Follow me." To those who refuse to hearken to his 
words he threatens the most fearful punishment — "He that 
believeth not shall be damned." He does at times attrib- 
ute his authority to his Divine Father, but always in such 
terms as to imply a mysterious and essential oneness be- 
tween himself and that Father. "Verily, verily, I say un- 
to you, the Son can do nothing of himself but what he 
seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doeth, these 
also doeth the Son likewise." "As my Father hath taught 
me, I speak these things. And he that hath sent me is 
with me." "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, 
and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you, I 
speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, 
he doeth the works." To many his doctrine, so lofty yet so 
reasonable, was in itself a sufficient indication of his au- 
thority. In the midst of one of his discourses, it is said, 
"As he spake these words many believed on him." It was 



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thus with the Samaritans, in whose village he abode two 
days. To the woman who had introduced them to him 
they said: "Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for 
we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed 
the Christ, the Saviour of the world." His authority, how- 
ever, was supported by external evidence. He wrought the 
most stupendous miracles. He healed the leper, gave sight 
to the blind, and speech to the dumb. He calmed the 
winds, walked on the waves, cast out devils, and raised the 
dead. To those whom his doctrine failed to convince he 
presented his miracles. "If I do not the works of my Fa- 
ther, believe me not." To impartial minds such an appeal 
was irresistible. "There was a man of the Pharisees, 
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; the same came to 
Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that 
thou art a teacher come from God ; for no man can do these 
miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." " Many 
of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ com- 
eth will he do more miracles than these which this man 
hath done ? " 

The authority assumed and exercised by our Lord in his 
office as teacher should be weighed by those who dispute his 
supreme Godhead. There are some who, while denyiug 
the divinity of Christ, would hold him up to our admira- 
tion as the ideal man, the only perfect flower of humanity. 
But if he is not God, his assumption of authority — so wide 
so absolute, so imperious, convicts him of a pride, an arro- 
gance, of a self-seeking totally unbecoming the relations 
and obligatious of a creature. Under the circumstances it 
is only as he is truly God that he can be perfect man. If 
he is less than divine, instead of meriting our admiration he 
deserves our indignant scorn. 

III. A third characteristic of our Lord's teaching was 
simplicity. 



The Incomparable Teacher. 



223 



Though authoritative he was never pedantic, nor artifi- 
cial, nor affected. He had frequently to treat of subjects 
the most profound and mysterious, but he always endeav- 
ored to make them as plain and lucid as the capacities and 
circumstances of his hearers would permit. The language 
he employed was such as could be readily understood. 
There was no pompous oratory, no straining after rhetor- 
ical effect. He was perfectly easy, self-possessed, and nat- 
ural. His discourses abounded in illustrations. These 
illustrations were drawn from nature and the familiar inci- 
dents of every-day life. The clouds in the west, the redden- 
ing sky at evening, the soft sighing of the wind, the lilies 
thick in the meadows, the birds twittering on the house- 
tops, the fig-tree by the way-side, the sower scattering his 
grain, the merchantman seeking goodly pearls, the busy 
trader in the market — these, and similar facts, were the ve- 
hicles by which he conveyed to the mind the most impor- 
tant truths. We are told that " the common people heard 
him gladly.'' Often vast multitudes waited on his minis- 
try. Unlike other great teachers, Christ had recourse to no 
artful contrivances to attract attention. He had no secret 
place to receive inquirers, and no particular hours to impart 
instruction. He had no esoteric doctrine, the communica- 
tion of which he reserved for those who had undergone a 
long and laborious course of preparatory training. What- 
ever might be his teaching, the substance of it was ad- 
dressed to all classes indiscriminately and irrespective of 
time or place. It might be in the crowded synagogue, or 
out on the breezy slope of a grassy hill, by the sea-side 
within hearing of its musical waves, or along the highway 
with its clouds of dust and oppressive heat; it might be in 
the early morn or in the dewy eve, on work-days or on Sab- 
bath-days ; but on all occasions Jesus spoke the same things 
more or less definitely to his disciples and to the multitude 



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generally. Two of his grandest discourses were delivered, 
the one to a poor woman who had come to draw water at 
Jacob's well, and the other to a single member of the Jew- 
ish sanhedrim, who had sought him by night. His words, 
his acts, his whole ministry, were marked by condescension 
to human ignorance and needs. 

Would that all religious teachers would imitate this beau- 
tiful simplicity! Not the exaltation of self, but the under- 
standing and acceptance of truth, should be the object of 
every discourse. Like a transparent stream, the flow of 
our speech should but reveal the thoughts which lie like 
polished pebbles in our hearts. Alas ! too often we are like 
the colored glass which adorns the windows of some of our 
churches — we draw attention more to ourselves than the 
light we were intended to admit. 

IV. A fourth characteristic of our Lord's teaching was 
courage. 

It was an age of hollow formalism, of hypocrisy, and ex- 
treme wickedness, in which Christ lived. It was part of 
his work to expose and denounce this wickedness. It was 
necessary that he should do so in order to prepare the way 
for the establishment of his kingdom. The rank weeds 
must be uprooted that space might be found for the seed of 
the word to grow in. Christ shrunk not from attacking the 
corruptions of his day, however strongly intrenched they 
might be in public opinion, and though he foresaw that the 
contest must terminate in his death. His bitterest- oppo- 
nents were the scribes and Pharisees, the ecclesiastical lead- 
ers of the Jewish nation. Their whole life, though ostensi- 
bly pious, was in direct antagonism to the law of God. He 
did not hesitate to unveil their character and to lay bare 
their sins. He warned men against imbibing their teach- 
ings and following their example. As a result, their au- 
thority and influence were employed to impede his progress 



The Incomparable Teacher. 



225 



and to effect his overthrow. But neither their hatred nor 
the plots they soon formed to take his life, though well 
known to him, could intimidate him or turn him from his 
course. As their malignity increased he became more open 
and unsparing in his invectives. He compared them to 
"whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful out- 
ward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and all un- 
cleanness." He exposed their selfishness in " binding heavy 
burdens on men's shoulders/' and refusing to " move them 
with one of their fingers." He showed their vanity and 
their pride in " making broad their phylacteries, and in 
loving the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in 
the synagogues." He inveighed against their rapacity in 
"devouring widows' houses, and for a pretense making long 
prayers." He condemned their blind zeal in " compassing 
sea and land to make one proselyte," and when they had 
succeeded, making him "twofold more the child of hell 
than themselves." "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers!" 
he exclaimed, "how can ye escape the damnation of 
hell ? " Burning words from the lips of incarnate Love ! 
But like the fierce flames which consume the dry stubble, 
they were necessary to prepare the field for the sowing of 
the precious grain. The wounds were deep, but they were 
only the long furrows of the plowshare as it upheaved the 
earth and made it ready for the fertilizing shower, the red 
baptism of his blood. Men must see in him the eternal 
enemy of sin before he could safely proclaim the glad tid- 
ings of salvation. Throughout his entire ministry he 
showed himself to be the "Amen, the faithful and true 
Witness." His courage rose #s his situation became more 
perilous and martyrdom was inevitable. Though he knew 
what awaited him on his last journey to Jerusalem, "he 
steadfastly set his face to go up." The day after the fail- 
ure to arrest him, and while the authorities were enraged at 



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the defection of the officers, " early in the morning he came 
again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; 
and he sat down and taught them." When at last he was 
apprehended and arraigned before the sanhedrim, and the 
high-priest, to secure his conviction, adjured him to tell 
them whether he was the Christ, the Son of God, though 
he knew that a cruel death must follow his confession, yet, 
setting his seal upon all that he had taught, including his 
maledictions upon themselves, he replied, "I am." 

O for like intrepidity in those who are now called to pro- 
claim his word ! Brethren, we should preach " not as pleas- 
ing men, but God who trieth our hearts." It is our duty 
to denounce sin in all its forms and disguises, whatever may 
be the consequences to ourselves. We are not to smooth 
our tongue to natter the rich or to gain the favor of the 
proud. Bravely, fearlessly, as "an iron pillar and brazen 
walls," we are to array ourselves against the selfishness, the 
injustice, the hypocrisy, the licentiousness, the wickedness 
of our time. Men may hate us and revile us for our fidel- 
ity, but we should remember that thus it was with our Mas- 
ter. Better far to endure their revilings here than to be 
stung by their reproaches hereafter. " The fearful" as well 
as " the unbelieving," have " their part in the lake that 
burneth wdth fire and brimstone." 

V. Another cliaracteristie of our Lord's teaching was ten- 
derness. 

The psalmist, predicting his advent, had portrayed him 
as " coming down like rain upon the mown grass, as show- 
ers that water the earth." And along with his courageous 
denunciations of sin were evidences of compassionate solic- 
itude for sinners ; on the wing of the stormful blast came 
the soft rain of pitying love. At the close of his sermon in 
the synagogue at Nazareth, "all bare him witness, and 
wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his 



The Incomparable Teacher. 



227 



mouth." His invitation to sinners without exception was : 
" Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and 
I will give you rest." Those who came to him with th^ir 
burdens of grief were tenderly received and bountifully 
blessed. Those who were indifferent to his kindness drew 
from him the lament, "Ye will not come unto me that ye 
might have life." For even the Pharisees, his relentless 
enemies, he was "grieved, because of the hardness of their 
hearts." Standing on Olivet, with Jerusalem before him 
— that city which was thirsting for his blood — he " wept 
over it, and said, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least 
in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace!" 
Marvelous tenderness ! — tenderness which every true min- 
ister must cultivate in order to success; tenderness which, 
like a stream in the desert, flows on and on, though lav- 
ished on barren and unappreciative sands. 

Without detaining you on other characteristics of our 
Lord's teaching, enough has been said to show that he oc- 
cupies the highest pedestal of wisdom, and is infinitely su- 
perior to all other teachers who have claimed the attention 
of men. " Never man spake like this man." His original- 
ity, his authority, his simplicity, his courage, his tenderness, 
stand without a parallel. A pertinent question in conclu- 
sion is, What is your attitude toward this incomparable 
teacher? Is it that of Mary of Bethany, who "sat at his 
feet," and listened so eagerly to his instructions? Is it that 
of the twelve disciples, who when others forsook him and 
he questioned them as to their fidelity replied: "Lord, to 
whom shall we go but unto thee? thou hast the words of 
eternal life." Do you prize his words ? Do you esteem 
them sweeter than honey and more to be desired than gold ? 
Is your fondness for them not a mere sentimental emotion, 
but a strong, dominant, and influential affection? Do you 
employ them to regulate your life ? Do you look to them 



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for guidance in perplexity, for comfort in sorrow, for help 
in time of temptation and weakness? Perhaps some of 
you feel no interest in the words of the great Teacher. 
Perhaps they are positively distasteful to you, as antagoniz- 
ing your present character, and coming into collision with 
your desires and purposes, your habits and dispositions. 
We would warn you not to despise this Teacher. You can- 
not disregard his words with impuifty. This is he of 
whom Moses spoke when he said : " The Lord thy God will 
raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee ; . . . and 
it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my 
words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of 
him." "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh." "He 
that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words," saith 
Christ, "hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have 
spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." 



SERMON XIX. 



The Storm on the Lake. 
" Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." (Mark vi. 50.) 
TO sheet of water has greater attractions than the Sea 



-L 1 of Galilee. Its natural charms are perhaps unsur- 
passed. A recent traveler describes it as a burnished mir- 
ror set in a frame-work of rounded hills and rugged mount- 
ains, which rise and roll backward and upward to where 
hoary Hermon hangs the picture against the blue vault of 
heaven." But its associations give to it unrivaled interest. 
Along its shores our Saviour must have often walked with 
his disciples. In its crowded cities he performed some of 
his most wonderful miracles. Among its neighboring 
heights is "the high mountain apart," where, to the min- 
gled awe and joy of those who had accompanied him, he 
put off for awhile the frailties of humanity, and was " trans- 
figured before them." On an adjacent summit he deliv- 
ered that sublime discourse which we so well know as "The 
Sermon on the Mount." On yonder rocky eminence he 
gave liberty to the demoniac of Gadara. And upon that 
grassy slope, thick strewn with flowers, he fed the five thou- 
sand. Somewhere on that calm bosom, then lashed into 
fury by a sudden storm, he uttered the mandate, " Peace, 
be still." And over those same waters, as on a floor of 
crystal, he once sped to the relief of his disciples, dispel- 
ling their fears, and infusing courage with the words, "Be ^ 
of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." 

From the many sacred incidents connected with this 
lake, and which give to it such interest, we have selected 




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for consideration the storm with which our text is iden- 
tified, and which, for the rich spiritual lessons it conveys, 
has been recorded by three of the evangelists. It was a 
sudden transition which the disciples experienced when 
overtaken by this storm. The day had been calm and 
beautiful, and they had spent it on the shore in the society 
of the Saviour, listening to his gracious words and behold- 
ing his mighty works. A great company was present — 
men, women, and children, w 7 ho had come on foot from the 
towns and hamlets on the other side of the lake, and bands 
of pilgrims from the north and east on their way to Jeru- 
salem, to celebrate the feast of the passover. Jesus, though 
seeking a brief interval of retirement and rest, could not 
refrain from discoursing to the multitude of the things of 
God ; and such as were sick among them he healed ; and 
as evening approached, seeing they were faint and hungry, 
he was touched with compassion, and directing them to sit 
down on the grass, he exerted his omnipotence, and with 
five loaves and two fishes fed the whole of the immense 
throng. No doubt it was a day of secret joy and exulta- 
tion to the disciples. They were more than ever convinced 
that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and with this con- 
viction arose visions of honor and happiness which they 
would enjoy when he should set up his kingdom. After 
such a day they find themselves on the deep in the midst 
of a storm. "It was dark;" thick clouds mantled the 
sky, and no star peered through to cheer them with its 
beam. " The wind was contrary;" it swept in fierce gusts 
from the deep gorges leading down from the mountains on 
the opposite side. " The ship was tossed with waves." The 
strain of the tempest was such that they had to lower the 
sail, and betake themselves to the oars. They "toiled in 
rowing." To add to their trouble, Jesus was not with them. 
He had sent them in advance to Bethsaida, while he re- 



The Storm on the Lake. 



231 



mained to dismiss the multitude. What a contrast to their 
circumstances a few hours before ! How little did they 
anticipate such an ending to a day so delightful and au- 
spicious! We have here, however, a picture of human 
life. All are liable to similar transitions. "We know 
not what a day may bring forth." From the high table- 
lands of prosperity we may suddenly be sent into the deep 
sea of adversity. The green grass and the soft sunlight 
of hope and pleasure may unexpectedly give place to the 
wild waves and bitter blasts of disappointment and sorrow. 
Look at Joseph, as, clad in his coat of many colors, his 
face aglow with innocence and love, and his thoughts at 
play, weaving the sweet dreams of youth, he approaches 
his brethren at Dothan. Surely he is in no immediate dan- 
ger; yet, ere night, sold by his cruel brothers, he is in the 
hands of the Ishmaelites and on his way to spend years of 
exile and servitude in Egypt. Look at Job, famed for his 
wealth, revered for his sanctity, " the greatest of all the 
men of the East." It is a festival day with his children. 
Surely it will close as happily as it began ; yet, ere night, 
with clothes rent and head shaven, he is prostrated upon the 
ground a poor, childless man. Look at David, the war- 
like and triumphant king. He is seated in his palace, se- 
cure, as he thinks, in the loyalty of his subjects; yet, ere 
night, weeping and barefoot, he has climbed the slope of 
Olivet, and is pressing forward to put, if possible, the Jor- 
dan between him and his pursuers. Sudden reverses may 
befall us. We may rise in health, but night may find us 
racked with pain and delirious with fever. We may go 
forth to our labor, glad at the thought that our family is 
still spared ; but we may come home at eve to find one of 
the lambs missing — torn from the fold by the devourer 
death. We may think our business brightening, and begin 
to indulge the expectation of amassing wealth ; but in a 



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single hour we may commit ourselves to a course which 
shall prove a treacherous whirlpool, drawing us quickly to 
the abyss of utter poverty. We should learn to expect ad- 
versity. We should be constantly prepared for trials. It 
is not gentle gales and smooth seas that Christ promises his 
servants. " In this world ye shall have tribulation." 

The disciples were in the path of duty when they encoun- 
tered this storm. Jesus had directed them to enter the ves- 
sel and cross to the other side. They had no occasion to 
reproach themselves with disobedience when they found 
themselves in such sudden jeopardy. The prophet Jonah 
was once overtaken by a similar storm. But he was flee- 
ing from the presence of the Lord. He was acting, not in 
obedience, but in direct opposition, to an express command 
of God. His conscience at once told him that this storm 
was sent in consequence of his guilt. Said he to the fright- 
ened mariners: "Take me up and cast me forth into the 
sea ; so shall the sea be calm unto you ; for I know that for 
my sake this great tempest is upon you." It is important, 
brethren, to be sure of our Christian fidelity, when the sub- 
jects of affliction. We know then that however painful 
may be our lot, it is not in punishment of our sins. This 
itself should remove fear and awaken hope. We may 
safely infer that if our troubles are not punitive, then they 
are simply disciplinary. They are to improve and develop 
us. They are the drill of the recruit, that he may make 
the better soldier. They are the furnace for the silver, that 
it may be freed from remaining dross. All that is neces- 
sary on our part is endurance. If, however, w T e have 
sinned, then, like Jonah, we have reason to apprehend that 
our afflictions are the tokens of Divine wrath. They may 
not be sent to destroy, but they certainly are to correct and 
warn us. They are the first swift rain-drops from the 
blackening heavens, which urge us to flee for shelter before 



The Storm on the Lake. 



233 



the lightnings flash and the thunders roll along our path. 
They demand not endurance, but repentance. Brother, 
are you in any trouble? It should be your endeavor to as- 
certain whether your affliction has befallen you in the path 
of duty, or whether it has come upon you as the penalty of 
transgression. If you have "a conscience void of offense 
toward God and toward men," however great may be your 
calamities, it is your privilege to be serene and joyful. The 
moaning of the blast may be to you as sweet as the music 
of the zephyr, and the leaping of the waves as glorious as 
the bosom of the deep when without a ripple, and all aglow 
with the sun's bright beams. If you are living in opposi- 
tion or in indifference to the will of God, I advise you to re- 
gard your affliction as designed to humble you and bring you 
to repentance. Amend your ways, and cry to your offended 
but long-suffering God for mercy and forgiveness. Do not 
imagine your troubles to be for "the trial of your faith," 
when they are plainly intended to remind you of your sins. 
Be not too ready to apply the balm of gospel promises to 
your wound, before you extract the poisoned arrow which 
Jias made it, and for the presence of which you are yourself 
responsible. " He that covereth his sins shall not prosper ; 
but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." 

It is worthy of note that the Saviour constrained the dis- 
ciples to take this voyage. It seems that they were reluc- 
tant to go ; but he overruled every objection, and insisted 
on their departure. In doing this, his immediate object, 
we think, was to preserve them from a course which 
would have been displeasing to himself. The vast multi- 
tude, who had just witnessed his miracles, were persuaded 
that he must be the Messiah. Their conception of the 
Messiah was a temporal monarch, who should exalt the 
Jewish people to preeminence among the nations of the 
earth ; who should make Jerusalem the metropolis of a 
9 



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world-wide empire, and who should bestow upon his sub- 
jects every conceivable enjoyment. Weary of Eoman dom- 
ination, and rejoicing in the belief that they had at last 
,4*md the promised Deliverer, they resolved among them- 
selves " to take him by force and make him a king." We 
doubt not that, with their unspiritual views of the kingdom 
of Christ, the disciples were in sympathy with this move- 
ment. Ambitious as they were, such an uprising would 
bring them at once into prominence, and insure to them a 
speedy investiture of those dignities which, as the chosen 
followers of the Messiah, they were constantly expecting. 
At this juncture Jesus interposed. It is no part of his plan 
to establish a secular kingdom. A tumultuous demonstra- 
tion in his behalf, by exciting the ire of the authorities, 
would only entail misery upon the people, and be the 
means, moreover, of interfering with the continuance" of 
his ministry. Summoning the twelve from the whispering 
groups which had already begun to gather around them as 
the chiefs of the coming kingdom, he "straightway con- 
strained them to get into a ship, and to go before him unto 
the other side." So then, just as they were hoping to see 
Jesus resume the scepter of David, and assign to them 
posts of honor in his service, this was a most unwelcome 
voyage. In ordering it, however, the Saviour consulted 
their highest interests. It was better far that they should 
go and suffer than that they should stay and sin. It was 
better far that they should wrestle with the raging tempest, 
conscious of his approval, than that they should remain on 
the shore to be pierced with a sense of his displeasure. It 
is, no doubt, for a similar purpose that Christ often subjects 
us to affliction. He sends us out into the deep, where the 
winds are boisterous and the waves roar, to preserve us from 
some fatal step which we would have taken if left to sit on 
the smooth slopes of worldly prosperity. Brethren, we 



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235 



should beware of murmuring at what may seem to our ig- 
norance and fear a dark dispensation of Providence. It 
may be but the fulfillment of the promise, " God is faithful, 
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are 
able; but will with the temptation also make a way to es- 
cape." It may be but an answer to the prayer which we 
daily offer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us 
from evil." 

It is observable that the disciples, when caught in the 
storm, did not turn back. They had been directed to pro- 
ceed to Bethsaida, and thither they continued to steer. The 
wind, however, was from the very point which they aimed 
to reach, and with all their rowing, hour after hour, they 
made but little progress. Men less obedient than the dis- 
ciples would have returned, rather than have braved that 
terrible storm. But the mandate of the Master was most 
positive and peremptory ; and, though at the hazard of life, 
they resolved to obey it. In this respect they are worthy 
of our imitation. We should never refrain from the dis- 
charge of our duties because of the trials we may meet 
with. We should bend to the work of fulfilling our task 
though all hell lift up its voice and rage around us. We 
should learn what is God's will concerning us, and then do 
it, at whatever cost. Alas, how many decline in their obe- 
dience when calamities befall them! Fair-weather Chris- 
tians, they shirk their responsibilities, and betake them- 
selves to a sinful repose on the first burst of the blast and 
the first swell of the sea. Brethren, it is a reproach to our 
manhood to yield obedience only when blue skies bend over 
us, and soft winds speed us to our destined port. Listen to 
Luther. When his friends dissuaded him from going to 
Worms, he replied: "Though there were as many devils in 
Worms as there are tiles on the house-tops, yet will I go 
forward." Listen to Polycarp. Urged by the pagan pro- 



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consul to abjure the Saviour and save his life, he answered: 
" Eighty and six years have I been his servant, yet in all 
that time hath he not so much as once hurt me; how then 
may I speak evil of my King and Sovereign Lord who has 
thus preserved me ? " Listen to Paul. With every possible 
evil before him, he exclaims: ' ' Who shall separate us from 
the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecu- 
tion, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in 
all these things are we more than conquerors, through him 
that loved us." Like them, " let them that suffer accord- 
ing to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls 
to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator." If death 
is our only deliverance from the storm, let it find us with 
our prow pointing heavenward, and our oars quivering in 
our outstretched hands. 

But where was Jesus while the disciples were on the sea? 
What was his employment while they were exposed to the 
fury of the storm? Having dismissed the multitude, he had 
retired to a mountain for prayer. There, under some leafy 
canopy, with nothing to disturb his solitude but the wailing 
wind, he passed the hours in communion with his Divine 
Father. Doubtless mingling with the petitions which he 
offered that night were supplications for his disconsolate 
and tempted disciples. Jesus was never selfish in his 
jDrayers. If he prayed for himself, it was chiefly that he 
might be better qualified as man for his stupendous work 
of saving our world. He still prays for his followers; not 
as then, however, in silence and loneliness, but amid the 
harpings and halleluiahs of angels and the spirks of just 
men made perfect. Yes; far away on Mount Zion, the 
heavenly hill, swept from our sight by the veil of the Invis- 
ible, " he ever liveth to make intercession for us." How 
consoling should this fact be to the afflicted saint ! Thy 
Saviour prays for thee ; he prays that " thy faith fail not ; " 



the Storm on the Lake. 



237 



he prays that " as thy days so may thy strength be ; " he 
prays that the Divine Spirit may be given to nourish and 
support thee when "in heaviness through manifold tempta- 
tions." Remember the unfailing efficacy of his prayers. 
When were his petitions for his servants ever denied? At 
the grave of Lazarus, " Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 
Father, I thank thee, that thou hast heard me. And I 
know that thou nearest me always." Rest assured, breth- 
ren, if you should prove recreant and unfaithful, it will 
not be because you had not "grace to help in time of 
need." 

Jesus, while in the mount, watched his disciples, as well 
as prayed for them. It is said " he saw them toiling in 
rowing." Though they were far out upon the sea, and 
darkness between them, they were as visible to him as 
though it were day and he were with them in the ship. 
He saw every crested billow that assailed their trembling 
bark ; he saw every dip of their oars as they struggled on- 
ward against wind and wave ; he saw the look of anxiety 
which w 7 as stamped upon their countenances; he saw the 
very thoughts which disturbed their minds, and the very 
fears which distressed their souls. And are we not watched 
by him in our afflictions? Is there a single tear which he 
does not see ? Is there a single sigh which he does not hear? 
No distance, no darkness, is able to exclude us from his 
view. Though far removed from us in his exalted and 
glorified manhood, yet, as divine, his glance penetrates im- 
mensity and beholds all things. His eye is upon every 
widow and upon every orphan ; his eye is upon the poor in 
their perplexities and sorrows; his eye is upon every vic- 
tim of cruelty and oppression ; his eye is upon the sick, as 
they lie and pine for departed health ; his eye is upon the 
tempted as they strive through weary days and months and 
years with the prince of darkness. Brethren, the saints 



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have often been immured in dungeons, where the light of 
the sun could not reach them ; they have often been where 
no human friend could approach to utter a sympathizing 
word, or bend on them a loving look ; but, blessed be God, 
they have never been where Jesus could not see them. 
Gates of iron and walls of granite are no obstacles to his 
all-seeing eye. The disciples would have felt encouraged 
had they known that he was watching them in the storm. 
We too shall feel stronger and more hopeful in our trials if 
we bear in mind that the eye of our Master is upon us. 
Soldiers fight best when conscious that their commander is 
observing them ; and we shall be more valiant and resolute 
in the discharge of our duties while sensible that we are 
under the glance of "the Captain of our salvation." 

It was not until the fourth watch of the night — three 
o'clock in the morning — that Jesus went to the rescue of 
his disciples. Why this delay? How much sooner he 
might have gone, had he seen fit. It was, no doubt, to ed- 
ucate them for future trials that he thus prolonged his ab- 
sence. He knew that in a little while he should need them 
to steer a mightier ship through a more terrible sea. His 
visible presence would be withdrawn, and they w T ould be 
left to maintain his cause against storms of opposition and 
waves of blood. He w T ould now teach them that though 
removed from him they were not forgotten, and that through 
the very elements which threatened their destruction he 
would come to their relief in the hour of their extremity. 
The memory of that midnight storm on the Sea of Galilee 
should sustain and strengthen them when exposed to perse- 
cution, imprisonment, and death. 

Just here w r e may mark the progressive steps by which 
our Lord developed the faith of his disciples. A short time 
before they were in a storm on the same sea ; but on this 
occasion Jesus was with them, though asleep. After strug- 



The Storm on the Lake. 



239 



gling in vain with the tempest, "they come to him and 
awake him, crying, Master, Master, we perish! Then he 
came, and rebuked the wind, and the raging of the water; 
and they ceased, and there was a calm." Now, however, 
he leaves them alone on the deep. Their faith has for its 
encouragement his previous miracle of stilling the sea. 
Quite likely the remembrance of that interposition in- 
spired them to go forward, though the storm was so furious 
and the Master absent. The Lord dealt with them as the 
eagle with her fledgelings, when she would teach them to 
fly. Pushing them over the edge of the nest, she watches 
them fluttering until, exhausted and frightened, they cease 
to strive, and plunge downward to the rocks, when, inter- 
posing her outstretched wing, she saves them from perish- 
ing and bears them aloft to their eyrie. Again and again 
she tries them, until at last, their pinions stronger and their 
confidence increased, she leaves them alone to cleave the 
air and soar upward above the clouds. 

Brethren, our trials are often to inure and prepare us for 
still greater trials. It is one of the crowning excellences 
of the renewed man that he be "strong in faith, giving 
glory to God." By degrees Jesus gives occasion for the 
development of the faith, and thus gradually qualifies us 
to honor him in the performance of the more arduous duties 
to which, in his providence, he may subsequently call us. 
The experience of his mercy and tenderness under lighter 
afflictions will encourage us to be steadfast when greater 
demands are made upon our faith. Like David, when we 
discern the approach of a fierce tempest, we shall exclaim : 
"Why art thou disquieted within me, O my soul? hope 
thou in God ; for I shall yet praise him who is the health 
of my countenance and my God." 

Strong faith is not only valuable as an ornament to char- 
acter and a qualification for usefulness, but it is a source 



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of comfort to those who possess it. In traveling on the 
cars, I have often noticed, when we stopped, that the train 
hands would go round, and with a heavy hammer strike 
each of the wheels. This was to ascertain if any of them 
had suffered a fracture on the way; and when this was 
done, and no injury detected, I felt safer and more cheer- 
ful as we sped forward through the mountains and valleys, 
and over rivers and streams. So, when our faith remains 
intact, notwithstanding through trial, we have increased 
grounds to expect a happy termination to our journey to 
the skies. 

We notice, in conclusion, that when the disciples were 
assured of the proximity of Christ their fears were instant- 
ly dispelled. At first they mistook him for a spirit, and 
they cried out in terror; but not greater was the calm 
which spread over the sea on his entrance into the ship than 
the quiet which stole into their troubled hearts when they 
heard the familiar voice, saying, in tones of ineffable sweet- 
ness: " Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." 

Fierce was the wild billow, 

Dark was the night ; 
Oars labored heavily, 

Foam glimmered white; 
Mariners trembled, 

Peril was nigh, 
Then said the Son of God, 
"Peace! it is I." 

Ridge of the mountain wave, 

Lower thy crest! 
Wail of Euroclydon, 

Be thou at rest ! 
Peril can never be, 
Sorrow must fly 
When saith the Light of life, 
"Peace! it is I." 



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241 



Jesus, Deliverer, 

Come thou to me ; 
Soothe thou my voyaging 

Over life's sea; 
Then when the storm of death 

Roars sweeping by, 
Whisper, O Truth of truth, 
" Peace ! it is I." 



SERMON XX. 

Gray Haies. 

"Gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not." 
(Hos. vii. 9.) 

AGE steals upon us unawares. One after another the 
silver threads mingle with the raven locks, and often 
exist in considerable numbers before a closer inspection in 
the mirror, or the gentle word of a friend, apprises us of 
their presence. A similar unconsciousness marks the prog- 
ress of spiritual declension. There may be many infallible 
tokens of enfeebled moral strength which long escape our 
notice; and not until we are led by the Divine Spirit to a 
more than ordinary examination of ourselves in the light 
of the gospel, or our condition is made known to us by some 
Christian friend, do we awake to the fact that we are ap- 
proaching the borders of spiritual death. 

Brethren, I would not have us to be self-deceived. It 
w T ould be a terrible thing for us to enter eternity and find 
that we had been lapsing for years, and were now irreme- 
diably lost, w T hen we had thought that w T e were morally 
sound, and as such entitled to the kingdom of light. Says 
the apostle: " Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the 
faith ; prove your own selves." Let us heed this solemn ad- 
monition. Let us scrutinize ourselves, and ascertain as far 
as possible our condition before God. I will state what I 
consider the unmistakable symptoms of religious declen- 
sion — point out the " gray hairs " which are the evident 
forerunners of spiritual decrepitude and death. 

1. You may discern a gray hair where there is neglect of 
prayer, or habitual coldness ivheu engaged in devotional exer- 
cises. 



Gray Hairs, 



243 



Prayer is an essential feature of the Christian life. It is 
vain to claim to be pious if we do not pray. Prayer is 
communion with God ; it is the channel through which flows 
to us the riches of his grace ; and he who is too proud or 
indolent to pray excludes himself from the Divine favor, 
and from the enjoyment of those blessings which are indis- 
pensable to the happiness of man. A true Christian de- 
lights in prayer. He would sooner deprive himself of his 
daily meals, or forego the most coveted of worldly pleas- 
ures, than cease from his devotions. Prayer is to him a 
fountain in the desert where he can refresh his parched 
lips and gain strength for the remainder of the way. It is 
a high hill piercing above the clouds, and climbing to the 
summit of which he can escape the gloom of the present, 
and regale himself with a wide and ecstatic prospect. He 
who is reconciled to God, he who has the access of a be- 
loved child to the ear of his Heavenly Father, will not be 
indifferent to the privilege of prayer. He will pray often. 
He will not be satisfied with stated seasons of devotion, 
but will ejaculate his desires and wants through the busi- 
ness of the day, and even in the night-watches. True, he 
may now and then find prayer a struggle; but like Jacob's 
wrestle with the angel amid the loneliness and darkness of 
the Jabbok, if persevered in, it will end in victory and the 
bestowment of a princely blessing. True, his prayer may 
now and then be little more than the plaintive utterance 
of his sorrows; but, as in the case of the disciples who 
went with saddened countenance from Jerusalem to Em- 
maus, he will be joined by one who will open to him the 
Scriptures and cause his heart to burn with an unearthly 
joy. What a refuge was prayer to David! He says: 
"From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my 
heart is overwhelmed." What a joy was prayer to Dan- 
iel! Rather than forego it, he preferred to be cast into 



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the lions' den. What a source of strength and comfort 
must prayer have been to Christ! At the beginning of 
his ministry we read of him : " And in the morning, rising 
up a great while before day, he went out and departed into 
a solitary place and there prayed." In Gethsemane, "being 
in an agony, he prayed more earnestly. 1 ' " Is any among 
you afflicted?" asks St. James; and his answer is, "Let 
him pray." O there is relief, there is consolation, there is 
rapture to be experienced in the exercise of prayer ! It is 
said of Payson that "his mind at times almost lost its sense 
of the external world in the ineffable thoughts of God's 
glory, which rolled like a sea of light around him at the 
throne of grace." It is said of one of the Tennents that 
" on one occasion, w r hen he was engaged in secret devotion, 
so overpowering was the revelation of God which opened 
upon his soul that at length he recoiled from the intolera- 
ble joy, as from a pain, and besought God to withhold from 
him further manifestations of his glory." It may not be 
given to all to realize such intense joy in their devotions; 
but no man can be living in a state of acceptance with God 
and find prayer destitute of attractions. It will communi- 
cate peace, it will give strength in the hour of temptation, 
it will inspire courage for the performance of duty, it will 
support under the burden of affliction, and it will cheer the 
soul with foretastes of celestial bliss. 

Brethren, what is prayer to you? Do you esteem it a 
precious privilege? Can you adopt the language of the 
psalmist and say, " It is good for me to draw near to God? " 
Is the footstool of Jehovah the place where, next to heaven, 
you delight to be? Do you love to linger there, and do you 
often speed to it, if only for a moment, amid the cares and 
distractions of your daily toil? Some of you, perhaps, have 
grown neglectful of prayer. You have lost that relish for 
it which distinguished you of old. Devotion is now a bur- 



Gray Hairs. 



245 



den, rather than a pleasure; it is a winter journey, with the 
fields all brown and the birds all mute ; not as it used to be, 
a summer sail adown placid streams, with banks glittering 
in green, and sweet odors wafted from blossoming meads, 
and sounds of melody floating on the ear. You are now 
not often on your knees. The upward glance and the deep- 
meaning sigh have almost ceased. It is not uncommon for 
you to rise in the morning and go forth to your labor 
without a thought of God, and, it may be, the day is far 
advanced before you recall your omission and endeavor to 
make amends with a few heartless petitions. Weeks pass, 
perhaps, and neither in your closet nor in the sanctuary 
have you any joy. What does this betoken? What but a 
state of spiritual declension ? A gray hair is visible, indic- 
ative of waning strength, and the herald of approaching 
death. 

2. You may discover a gray hair where there is a decided 
preference for the society of worldly persons. 

Conversion creates new tastes, new sympathies. This is 
especially noticeable in relation to our companionships. 
The persons toward whom we were drawn when we were 
living in rebellion against God do not meet the demands 
of our friendship when we are renewed by Divine grace. 
There is now such a dissimilarity between ourselves and 
them in point of character and purpose that we do not co- 
alesce as formerly, but repel each other by virtue of our 
difference. They recoil from our purity as the diseased eye 
from the presence of the light. We can find no pleasure 
in their depravity. We are pained to witness their hostil- 
ity to God ; we are shocked to mark the course of conduct 
which they pursue. Even their conversation, irreverent 
and irreligious as it often is, is distasteful to our ears. We 
feel it incumbent upon us to seek other friendships. Our 
affections, like vines that gather around some stately col- 



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umn, attach themselves to the pure and good. We prefer 
the society of the people of God. We delight to mingle 
with those who exhibit the mind of Christ. Their sphere 
may be lowly, their circumstances may be unattractive; 
but to us they are as palms in the desert, and as the shad- 
ow of a great rock in a weary land. "We be brethren." 
We had rather spend an hour with a poor saint in a dis- 
mal cabin, talking of Christ and heaven, than to spend 
a week in a palace with some lordly sinner, from whose 
lips we should hear no syllable of fealty to God. Yes, 
we " would rather be a door-keeper in the house of our 
God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." 

Brethren, does this describe your experience ? You cer- 
tainly felt thus when you were converted to God. How is 
it with you now ? Do you still prefer the communion of 
saints? are those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sin- 
cerity your friends above all others? What evidence do 
you give of the strength and ardor of your attachment? 
When the Sabbath dawns, does it find you glad of an op- 
portunity of assembling in the sanctuary, there to unite 
with the people of God in supplication and praise? or, are 
you then eager for an excuse to absent yourselves, that you 
may pass the day in the society of some worldly person, 
either lounging at home or riding about through the land? 
When there is prayer-meeting through the week, are you 
anxious to be there that you may encourage others by your 
presence, and receive cheer and help from your mutual peti- 
tions? or, is the sound of the church-bell barely noticed by 
you, and do you suffer the hour to slip by in gay jest and 
laugh with those who have no fear of God before their eyes? 
There are some of your brethren, perhaps, who have but 
lately entered on the Christian life; there are others who 
are bowed down with grief and care. Do you sympathize 
with them? are you prompt to instruct and comfort them? 



Gray Hairs. 



247 



or, are you careless as to their condition? Are you so en- 
grossed with those of a different stamp — the men of the 
world who have their portion in this life, the thoughtless, 
the evil — that you have scarcely leisure or disposition to 
interest yourselves in the weal or woe of those whose name 
you bear ? O my brethren, answer these questions before 
God to-day! If the children of the wicked one are more 
attractive than the children of God ; if you are more in- 
clined to seek the society of those who are at variance with 
the divine law than those who are striving to obey it; if 
the puns and jokes of the unbelieving and impenitent are 
sweeter to you than the songs and prayers of the disciples 
of Christ, we are bold to tell you that you have occasion 
for alarm ; a gray hair is visible, betokening deterioration, 
and prophesying death. 

3. You may discern a gray hair where there is apathy in 
regard to the salvation of sinners. 

While Christians are indisposed to cultivate intimacy 
with the wicked, they feel for them the deepest compassion. 
They know that " the wrath of God is revealed from heav- 
en against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." 
They are aware of the jeopardy in which sinners stand ; 
they see the black clouds which are gathering on the hori- 
zon; they hear the moan of the ocean as it is lashed by the 
coming storm ; and they know that the frail pleasure-boats, 
which, deceived by the morning calm, have ventured out to 
sea, will speedily be overwhelmed and lost, unless, pausing, 
they reverse their oars and with strong and rapid pull 
make for the receding shore. ' It is an awful fate which 
awaits the finally impenitent. Hell is God's final curse; it 
is the total eclipse of his blessed countenance; it is a firma- 
ment of darkness without one glimmering star; a prospect, 
throughout immensity of time and space, unrelieved by a 
single joy. As Christians, it is impossible for us to b« un- 



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concerned while any of our fellows are exposed to such 
misery, and means are at our disposal by which we may 
hope to effect their rescue. In proportion as we resemble 
Christ, in proportion as we are animated and controlled by 
that love which is "the fulfilling of the law," will be our 
solicitude for the salvation of sinners. Our sympathy will 
be practical. It will not exhaust itself in sighs and tears 
and lamentations. It will prompt to vigorous and persist- 
ent action. It will lead us to present ourselves before God 
in prayer, and, like Abraham for Sodom, plead with him 
again and again in behalf of sinners. It will lead us to ex- 
postulate with them in person, and with words of meekness 
and gentleness beseech them to flee the wrath to come. It 
will lead us to watch over ourselves in our daily walk, lest 
by any dereliction on our part they may suspect us of in- 
sincerity, and harden themselves in iniquity. It will lead 
us to contribute cheerfully and liberally to the support of 
the various instrumentalities by which their salvation may 
be achieved. To hear of the conversion of a sinner will 
be to us the occasion of exultant joy. To know that we 
have been ourselves the instruments of bringing some from 
darkness to light will be sweeter far than to know that 
we possess millions of gold. 

Brethren, are you zealous for the salvation of sinners? 
Is your " heart's desire and prayer to God that they might 
be saved?" Do you commiserate their condition, and ex- 
ert yourselves to the extent of your ability to lead them to 
repentance? how earnestly you labored for them imme- 
diately after your conversion ! Let memory recall those 
days. It seemed then as though you could no more re- 
strain yourselves from striving to do good than the flow- 
ers can keep from blooming, and the trees from flinging 
out their foliage when the spring has come and south winds 
are whispering through the land. You would stop the 



Or ay Hairs. 



249 



yoimg man who was living recklessly in sin, and taking 
him aside would relate to him your experience, and urge 
him to seek the Lord. You would lift up your heart in 
prayer, as you sped along the street, and implore God to 
have mercy on those who were regardless of his laws. You 
were regular in your attendance on the prayer-meeting; 
for you were eager to be there, to unite with others in be- 
seeching a special outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the 
Church and the community. If you were asked for money 
to help push the conquests of the gospel in distant lands, 
you were never found reluctant to respond. How is it 
with you now? Has the stream of your Christian energy 
evaporated like some rivulet in the heat of a summer sun ? 
Have you lost the deep sympathy, the tender, loving in- 
terest in imperiled souls which distinguished you in days 
gone by? Perhaps whole months now elapse, and you 
make no direct effort to convince one unbelieving mind, 
or to subdue one impenitent heart. You utter no word of 
entreaty, you shed in secret no tear of pity, you offer no 
agonizing prayer of intercession. Sinners look to you from 
out the sea of sin, upon which they are tossing; but no 
light streams from you upon the black foaming rocks 
toward which they are drifting in the darkness. They are 
sailing all merrily down the swift river which ends in the 
measureless cataract of everlasting woe; and standing on 
the shore, you give no signal of alarm and shout no voice 
of warning. Ah, brethren, I should be recreant to my 
duty were I not to tell you that you are yourselves in dan- 
ger! You are losing the life you derived from Christ, and 
are fast going down to the grave of spiritual corruption. 
The dew of your youth has vanished, and upon your head 
is the gray hair, ominous of coming death. 

4. You may discern a gray hair where there is an undue 
anxiety for the acquisition of wealth. 



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Religion is not opposed to industry. St. Paul reminds 
the Thessalonians that while with them he " commanded 
them, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." 
Elsewhere he enjoins it as a duty, that we be " not slothful 
in business." It is quite right, therefore, under certain lim- 
itations, to endeavor to improve our temporal circumstan- 
ces. There is nothing sinful in the accumulation of wealth, 
provided we amass it honestly, and do not allow it to inter- 
fere with the discharge of our obligations to God and to 
our neighbor. There is guilt attaching to us, however, 
when in our desire for wealth, or even for the sake of a 
livelihood, we engage in occupations or lend our influ- 
ence to schemes which are inimical to the cause of God, 
and injurious to the best interests of our fellows. We are 
open too to the charge of sin when, forgetting our depend- 
ence on God, we suspend our happiness on the possession 
of wealth, and are discontented and miserable if it is de- 
nied us, or taken from us. We incur the Divine wrath, 
moreover, when, in our thirst for riches, we neglect the re- 
ligious culture of our souls, and are at little pains to bring 
forth the fruits of holiness. We come under condemna- 
tion also when, in the pursuit of gain, we stoop to dishon- 
esty and falsehood, and are careless of regulating our con- 
duct by the law of righteousness and truth. We are verily 
guilty too when, to indulge our avarice, we steel our hearts 
against the appeals of the indigent and suffering, and give, 
if at all, but grudgingly and sparingly to their relief 
While there is nothing wrong in the simple desire and ef- 
fort to be wealthy, it behooves us to desire and labor for it 
in such a way as is consistent with the various requirements 
of the Divine will, and chiefly that we may be more favor- 
ably situated, and have more abundant opportunities for 
serving God and being useful to mankind. Like the full 
lake among the mountains, which sends down streams, 



Gray Hairs. 



251 



bearing beauty and fertility to the plains, so, if we toil for 
wealth, it shall be that with barns full and purses over- 
flowing we may be "rich in good works, ready to distrib- 
ute, willing to communicate, laying up in store a good 
foundation against the time to come." The heart is de- 
ceitful, however, and needs watching right here. An un- 
due anxiety for worldly prosperity should instantly alarm 
us. We should be quick to repress it at whatever cost. 
Christ says : ** Take heed, and beware of covetousness." St. 
Paul says : " They that will be rich fall into temptation and 
a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which 
drown men in destruction and perdition."* Alas, how many 
Christians, overcome by covetousness, have ultimately lost 
their peace, and forfeited their hope of heaven! O the 
folly of those who make an idol of money, and yield to it 
the homage of their hearts! We go forth at dawn, and 
there, in dewy sweetness, are the morning-glories, with wide 
open petals, waiting to welcome the ascending sun. The 
sun rises, and, as though well pleased, kisses them softly 
and tenderly for an hour; but soon he pours on them his 
hot beams, and, unable to endure his burning glance, the 
bright beauties quickly fade and perish. So it is with the 
sun of wealth, toward which so many look with ardent and 
adoring eye. For a brief while they bask in the ecstatic 
glow which spreads over the surface of their life ; but how 
soon it ends! and the very object they worshiped, far from 
imparting bliss, "pierces them through with many sor- 
rows." 

Brethren, are you free from covetousness? Do you esti- 
mate money at its real worth, and if you wish and work 
for it, is it principally that you may glorify God? You 
know how secondary and subordinate it was with you when 
you were converted. How is it with you now? Do you 
allow it to trench on time that should be given to God in 



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the closet or in the sanctuary. Do you allow it to lead you 
to neglect the oversight of your family and the right train- 
ing of your children? Has it made you in any wise un- 
truthful or unjust? Do you hoard what you have gained 
as though your happiness depended on its possession? _ Is 
your desire to " get on " so great that you have no alms for 
the poor, and no tithes for the gospel? Is your passion so 
intense and all-consuming that you cannot endure to see 
the superior prosperity of another? O brethren, take the 
candle of the Lord and explore the deep caverns of your 
hearts to-day ! It is not unlikely that some of you are un- 
duly anxious for the acquisition of " this world's goods." 
If, then, your anxiety leads you to act selfishly and igno- 
bly, if it leads you to act otherwise than in accordance with 
the requirements of godliness, uprightness, and charity, you 
are under the influence of covetousness ; a gray hair is upon 
your head, telling of spiritual decline and foreboding eter- 
nal death. 

"Gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he Jcnoweth 
not" O fatal ignorance! I pray God that if any of those 
gray hairs are upon your head, you may not fail to discover 
them to-day. Alas for you if, closing your eyes to your sin- 
fulness, you should only learn it at last) to your unavailing 
horror, in the red light of hell ! 

As a rule, the grayer a man is the nearer is he to death 
and the grave; and the more of these gray hairs you have 
upon your heads, the nearer you are to that deeper death 
which consists in the separation of the soul from the favor 
of God, and to that gloomier grave " where their worm 
dieth not and the fire is never quenched." 

Thank God, however, I need not leave you without a 
word of consolation. O my backslidden brother, my err- 
ing sister, recovery is possible if you will but seek it 
promptly. "There is balm in Gilead and a Physician 



Gray Hairs. 



253 



there." Go to Christ; he is able, by the application of his 
precious blood, and by the quickening energy of his Spirit, 
to "renew your youth like the eagle's." Go to him; tell 
him of your misery, and implore his help. Cry out, like 
one of old, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on me!" It shall 
not be in vain. At his healing word your "gray hairs" 
will disappear, and, freed from the deadly power of sin, 
which has insinuated itself into your system, his own eter- 
nal life will pulsate afresh in each spiritual vein. 



SERMON XXI. 

The Church as the Lamb's Wife. 

" Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, 
clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?" (Solo- 
mon's Song vi. 10.; 

r~MHE Song of Solomon has all the elements of a great 
-1_ poem. Its subject is as sublime as the diadem of day, 
its structure is as unique as the pyramids of the plains, its 
imagery is as gorgeous as an autumn sky at eve, while its 
numbers are as mellifluous as the purling of streams in the 
summer shade. It has fields for the fancy, gems for the 
garnishing of wisdom, and delicious nectar for the troubled 
soul. Though hoary with age, the crust of centuries upon 
it, it stands forth as one of those majestic mounts on which 
generations have gazed and never grown weary. It is as 
fresh as ever. We welcome it as we welcome the visits of 
spring; we look on it as we look on the rainbow; and we 
love it as we love those beautiful days, so calm, so fair, 

When every prospect pleases, 
And only man is vile. 

The song celebrates the union which subsists between 
Christ and his Church. The nuptials of Solomon with the 
charming Shulamite supply a vehicle highly suited to the 
purpose. The closest of earthly ties is selected to express 
the mutual affection, the delectable intercourse, the similar- 
ity of sentiment, the harmony of purpose, which character- 
ize Christ and his people. As in the Apocalypse and other 
portions of inspired writ, the Church is here represented as 
"the Lamb's wife; " and throughout the song the bride and 
bridegroom are heard, alternately declaring their admira- 



The Church as the Lamb's Wife. 



255 



tion and delight, and ascribing to each other the highest 
excellence love could crave. 

We have in our text a burst of joy from Christ on con- 
templating the perfections and prospective glories of his 
spouse, the Church. "Who is she," he asks, "that looketh 
forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, 
and terrible as an army with banners ? " To the Church, 
as thus portrayed, we invite attention on this occasion. 
We have for consideration, 

I. The beauty of the Church. " She is fair as the moon." 

A more apposite figure could scarcely have been selected. 
Who has not been impressed with the superb loveliness of 
the moon? A glorious spectacle is she, when in the stilly 
night, unbroken save by the rustle of the tired zephyrs, or 
the distant rumbling of some gay one's chariot, the pale 
goddess ascends her spangled throne, scatters silver among 
the loyal clouds which have awaited her appearance, and 
enrolling them in her service hastens on to chase away the 
shadows in the vale. We wonder not that the poet has 
drank inspiration from her charms, and young genius ex- 
ulted in reproducing on canvas her triumphant march. 
We wonder not that the shepherd has sung his sweetest car- 
ols while basking in her mellow light, and the poor, delud- 
ed heathen rendered her the homage due to Him who robed 
the hills with green and paved immensity with all its radi- 
ant jewels. But fair as she is, not less so (to a spiritual 
eye) is " the Church of the living God." She is "the per- 
fection of beauty." And here we speak of her more par- 
ticularly as the repository of that light which, like the 
moon, she has received from a higher source — the light of 
truth —truth as to the character of God, truth as to the ne- 
cessities of man, truth as to the mediation of Christ, truth 
as to the allotments of eternity. Reflecting this light, ris- 
ing with it on the darkness of man's moral night, how re- 



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splendent her appearance ! " Behold, ye despisers, and 
wonder ! " See her, as age after age she pursues her ethe- 
real course! Does she shine on the summits of thought? 
they beam with the brightness of heaven. Does she strike 
through the mists of depravity? the contrite are cheered 
by her smile. Does she follow the windings of doubt? light 
falls on the gathering gloom. Does she walk o'er the 
waves of affliction? they hush at the sound of her step. 
"Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah!" is the excla- 
mation of Him to whom her comeliness is best known. 
" Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of 
thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries." 
Consider, 

II. The purity of the Church. She is " clear as the sun." 

The sun, so far as the naked eye is concerned, is the 
most lucid object in nature. As such it is frequently em- 
ployed in Scripture, as an emblem of holiness. " The Sun 
of righteousness" was the title applied by Malachi to the 
Saviour, when predicting his approaching advent. And 
doubtless there is an allusion to the same sublime lumi- 
nary when Bildad, declaring to Job the unrivaled holiness 
of God, exclaims: "Behold even to the moon, and it shin- 
eth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight!" 

It is in her purity, we think, that Christ compares the 
Church to the sun; and indeed as an instrumentality for 
the enlightenment and recovery of mankind, as employed 
to " show forth the praises of Him who hath called her out 
of darkness into his marvelous light." " Zion's righteous- 
ness goes forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a 
lamp that burneth." No other orb, however ancient, how- 
ever bright, can abide her presence. She teaches a code of 
morals before whose strong, searching light, the purest eth- 
ics of heathen philosophy are lost in eternal shade. We 
have only to glance to the firmament of thought to see what 



The Church as the Lamb's Wife. 



257 



pallor, what dimness, she has cast on the dreams of Bud- 
dhism, the precepts of Confucianism, the imaginings of Mo- 
hammedanism, and the prouder reasonings of the lyceum 
and the academy, of the stoic and the epicurean. More- 
over, unlike those blind leaders of the blind, she makes 
known the means of purification. They indeed discerned 
dimly wherein purity consisted, but their discovery was as 
the pool of Tantalus — exciting importunate desire, but on 
attempting to enjoy it, sweeping far out of reach. " But 
there is a fountain open to the house of David and to the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness." A cry, 
musical as the sound of many waters, comes from her midst : 
" Wash ye ; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be 
as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they 
shall be as wool." And to admit of no doubt of her Be- 
thesda, she points to the vast numbers who have experi- 
enced its life-giving power, and are now examples "in word, 
in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in purity." These are 
her children, "renewed in the spirit of their mind, and 
have put on the new man which after God is created in 
righteousness and true holiness." You, dear sinner, may 
be like them. Because of " certain men" who have " crept 
in unawares," and because of others who from want of 
vigilance allow themselves ever and anon to be deprived of 
the righteousness they had attained, their names are indeed 
stigmatized by a wicked world. "The precious sons of 
Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as 
earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!" 
But while they may appear only as faint nebulse to the 
earthly eye, they are as blazing suns to Him who regards 
them from above. Men may recoil from them as from ser- 
pents, but God draws nigh to them as to seraphs ; his smile 
is upon them, his loving-kindness is manifested to them. 
Now, indeed, they may be enveloped in obscurity, and often 



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Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



undistinguished; but when this mundane sphere shall be 
wrapped in flame, consume, and pass away; when temple 
and tower, palace and pyramid, all the proud piles of hu- 
man grandeur, shall disappear as beaded bubbles in the 
fiery tide — up higher, in a land where no storm ever comes, 
and where none but the pure can dwell, they "shall shine 
as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars forever 
and ever/' Consider, 

III. The poiver of the Church. She is "terrible as an 
army with banners." 

What an idea of strength does this figure suggest! We 
recollect reading in the days of our childhood an eloquent 
description of the spectacle here alluded to. AVe cannot 
now recall the language of the writer, but never shall we 
forget the impression it made upon us. We had heard of 
the stern lion's roar, startling the denizens of the forest, and 
turning even the hardy hunter from the chase. We had 
witnessed the angel of the storm speeding along the sky, 
smiting the proud hills with his burning feet, and lifting 
the sturdy oak as a mere feather in his angry grasp. We 
had seen the ocean, when roused from its midnight slumber, 
become white with rage, and while thundering its deafening 
defiance, rush hither and thither in pursuit of its mocking 
tormentor. But none of these awoke such a sense of power 
in our mind as the picture of that army formed in line at 
the sound of the morning trump, and then moving on be- 
neath a summer sky, the sunbeams mirrored in their bur- 
nished steel, the ground trembling with the weight of their 
artillery ; their banners, pierced in many a battle, floating 
on the breeze; music stealing from their midst and echoing 
among the rocks; and their hearts, so stout and brave, 
panting wildly for vengeance on the coming foe. 

It is to a scene similar to this that Christ refers as illus- 
trating the power of the Church. She is "terrible as an 



The Church as the LamUs Wife. 



259 



army with banners." And is she not worthy of the figure? 
For ages past her chosen generation have been achieving 
a conquest eclipsing in magnitude and splendor the most 
renowned of an Alexander, a Tamerlane, or a Csesar. "Not 
against flesh and blood, but against princij)alities, against 
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, 
against spiritual wickedness in high places," have they 
striven. Commanded by Jesus, and armed with the whole 
panoply of God — the hope of salvation their helmet, right- 
eousness their breastplate, truth their guide, faith their broad 
shield, the word of God their two-edged sword— boldly have 
they gone forth "to the help of the Lord, to the help of 
the Lord against the mighty." Their first battle — fought 
at Jerusalem — was a victory, and added three thousand to 
their ranks. But this was only an earnest of the golden 
future. Onward, as some mighty, surging tempest, sw T ept 
their conquering feet ! and but little time elapsed before the 
gods of Greece were in ashes, and the rage of Rome spent 
as a noonday shower in spring. Then, however, came re- 
verses. Into many of the branches of the luxuriant tree, 
which waved so proudly to the casual eye, the worm of 
carnality had been eating. Suddenly the foe which was 
thought subdued and trampled under foot, sprung forth 
from the very midst of Zion, and with red, remorseless arm 
hastened to mow down "the sacramental host of God's 
elect." Then was a time of darkness, defeat, and unutter- 
able woe to the Church. But at length Luther and Me- 
lanchthon arose, and by their radiant light dissipated the 
gloom of that awful night. Ever since the Reformer 
burned the "Bull of Leo" at the gates of Wittenberg, the 
tide of conquest has been rolling onward with the sons of 
God. Now "the stone cut out of the mountain without 
hands" fills the whole civilized world. Now the paw of 
"the Lion of the tribe of Judah" clutches India in its 



260 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



grasp, and is dashing its idols in pieces. Now the " Scep- 
ter of Israel" waves over the confines of China, and multi- 
tudes are bowing to its serene sway. ISTow "the Star to 
come out of Jacob" soars high over the southern seas, and 
the isles rejoice because of its appearance. And now " beau- 
tiful upon the mountains" of the West, where naught 
was heard but the sighing of the solitary cedar and the 
wild whoop of the warlike Indian, "are the feet of him 
that bringeth good tidings." 

We must not suppose, however, that the Church remains 
unattacked. Infidelity is still busy steeling the hearts of 
her adherents, and urging them, ever and anon, to give bat- 
tle to the host of God. Fanaticism is darting aloft on the 
wings of the eagle, inducing the imprudent to exchange 
"the weapons of their warfare" for a "banner with a 
strange device — ' Excelsior !' " and climb upward to the 
glassy slope of death. " Science, falsely so called," is div- 
ing into the bowels of the earth to procure rocks and fossils 
to throw at us, and using the utmost ingenuity to create a 
panic by persu ading us that "the stars fight in their cours- 
es against us." Popery is marshaling her strength, and 
unsatiated with the blood of the past lurks tiger-like in 
the shade, ready with open jaws to pounce upon the ad- 
vancing train of truth. Ritualism, an angel from the bot- 
tomless pit, clad in the gorgeous colors of the rainbow, and 
promising the brimming cup of heaven, is in many places 
corrupting the followers of Immanuel. Moreover, there 
are forms of heresy floating about, with their siren sweetness 
beguiling the unwary to embrace them, which done, they 
go down with their unthinking prey to the gleaming pit of 
hell. Still, amid all her adversaries, the Church lifts up 
her head "as Tabor among the mountains, and as Carmel 
by the sea." Founded on the Rock of ages, " the gates of 
hell caunot prevail against her." "The waters of affliction 



The Church as the Lamb's Wife. 



261 



may bubble and roar and thunder*at her basement, yet 
everlasting sunshine settles on her brow, and the billows 
that dash against her only burnish her with their sprays, 
minister to her radiance, reflect her glory, and proclaim her 
eternal duration." Consider, 

IV- The prospective glory of the Church. " Fair as the 
moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with ban- 
ners, she looketh forth as the morning" 

With no deeper joy could w T eary captive greet his pardon 
sealed, or sailor homeward bound from stormy , seas and 
lonely watch the brightening coast of father-land, than we 
the exhilarating vista here spread before us. Morning 
brandishes his banner in the east, and with his advent the 
grim shadows disappear as Syria's haughty host w r hen dart- 
ing panic-stricken from the Lord. Now relieved, the wan- 
ing moon, upon whom fell the battle's brunt, lays aside her 
armor and seeks the tent of rest, w 7 hile the heralding con- 
queror speeds over the vacant fields to complete his triumph 
and grace the coming of the royal ruler of the day. See ! 
he lifts his magic wand, and instantly the pearly dew upon 
the rose-tree brightens with diamonds, the shady nooks 
smile with sweetest flowers, the village spire glistens as 
though of gold, and the clouds above grow beauteous as 
the boasted bird of paradise. We have revealed to us the 
prospect of the Church. She "kroketh forth," not to a 
long, dreary night, as some would have it, but to a bright 
millennial day. Ah, ye of little faith, run into the open air 
of prophecy, and the dull haze of unbelief will be swept 
from your sin-dimmed vision. See! the tall peaks of prom- 
ise are already radiant with the coming glory, and dense 
masses of error-mist roll away in the distance. See! the 
blades of truth spring up on every side, the flowers and fruit 
of holiness appear, and the spires of hope gleam red in the 
moral sky. Hark ! it is the voice of the watchman : 



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"Morning, morning, morning, to Zion!" We have been 
there, and returned with our faith fixed. Without doubt, 
the shadows flee away, and an everlasting day dawns upon 
the Church, which, though sometimes overcast by clouds, 
shall never be succeeded by a night. Already "the Gen- 
tiles come to its light, and kings to the brightness of its ris- 
ing." "The gods of earth" tremble and flee at its ap- 
proach, and the idols are being "cast to the moles and to 
the bats." 

Brethren, we only would that it were ours to bask under 
the broad beams of the ascending sun ; for, judging from 
the beauty of the morning rays, what must be the perfect 
day ! But though standing like Moses on the top of Xebo, 
with the Jordan of death between, we see the promises afar 
off, and are persuaded by them. We know that the hills 
of Palestine shall yet reverberate with the songs of believ- 
ing Jews ; we know that the breezes which fan the dense 
groves where idolatry reigns shall yet waft Irumanuel's 
name; we know that the streams which gurgle forth from 
Afric's weary wastes shall yet listen to the anthem of the 
redeemed; we know that the mountains which rise amid 
the pomp and parade of Brahma's worshipers shall yet 
echo with temple-notes ; we know that the snow and ice 
of Arctic zones shall yet bloom with beauty and innocence, 
"the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley;" we know 
that the cruel citadel of Mohammedanism shall yet be 
sacked and deserted, and its crescent light extinguished by 
the glory of the Sun of righteousness; we know that the 
power of Antichrist shall yet be destroyed, and the angel's 
song of triumph be heard : "Babylon the great, is fallen, is 
fallen, is fallen ! " Then will be creation's jubilee, the 
Church's triumph, the Redeemer's glory! "The Lord will 
hasten it in his time." Jealous for his honor, and weary 
waiting for his stately stepping-, we may now and then give 



The Church as the LamVs Wife. 



263 



utterance to the plaint, "Why is his chariot so long in 
coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariot ?" But let 
us "stablish our hearts, for the corning of the Lord draw- 
eth nigh." Slowness of progress in all that is enduring is 
the great law of the universe. The creature is impatient, 
the Creator is deliberate. The creature, w*hose sum of 
earthly life is bounded by the three-score years and ten, 
hurries to and fro in the restlessness of his w T ill ; the Creator, 
sitting in quietude upon his eternal throne, upholdeth all 
things in the majestic leisureness of unbounded power. "A 
thousand years in his sight are but as yesterday when it is 
past, and as a watch in the night." Centuries may yet 
elapse before the smiling prospect seen through the tele- 
scope of prophecy is ushered in. But just as certain as the 
planets revolve around a common center, just as certain as 
any known fact in nature, the knowledge of God shall en- 
circle and cover the earth as the w T aters cover the sea. 
"The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform it." Man 
and his works not seldom raise expectations that they fail 
to fulfill, but God, his blessed word and glorious works, 
never. Yet a little w 7 hile and a change will come; might- 
ier instruments will be raised up in the Church ; fresh and 
more powerful baptisms will be felt from on high ; indiffer- 
ence will be displaced by a tireless concern, and lukewarm- 
ness by amazing vigor and zeal ; Pentecost will be revived, 
"and a little one shall become a thousand, and a small one 
a strong nation." As of old, apostles will go forth, "con- 
quering and to conquer." Already, as percursors, we have 
seen the Wesleys, and Whitefield, and others, such as Mar- 
tyn, and Judson, and Coke. Heralds still more illustrious 
shall arise — " For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who 
shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who 
shall turn it back?" "For it shall come to pass that in 
every place, from the rising of the sun, even unto the going 



264 



Sermons by It. L. Harper. 



down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gen- 
tiles; and in every place incense shall be offered, and a 
pure offering ; for my name shall be great among the hea- 
then, saith the Lord of hosts." 

Soldiers of Christ, to arms! Let the certainty of final 
success have an inspiring, invigorating effect upon you. 
The earth is ours by a divine decree ; it is ours by certain 
reversion. Jesus Christ is a stone dropped on the ocean of 
life, which the angry waves instantly swallowed ; but which 
act, w T e are certified, is propelling his kingdom in widening 
circles to the ends of the earth. O to be instrumental in 
promoting this blessed consummation ! Whether indeed 
we are indolent or active, cowardly or brave, the issue is 
inevitable. If we will not labor, Christ will find other serv- 
ants; if we will not fight, w T e may rest assured there are 
those who will. Our opportunity will be lost, our reward 
will be forfeited. Other brows will be crowned with lau- 
rels, other names will be confessed with honor before an as- 
sembled universe. But, brethren, can we endure such a 
thought? Can we be content to repose in idleness, while 
others, no better equipped than we, face the foe and win the 
prize? . . . Up! and by prayer, by faith, by righteousness, 
by a self-sacrificing benevolence, let us seek to accelerate 
the universal establishment of our Master's kingdom. 

In conclusion. Who is there that would not bear a part 
in the mighty conflict of which we now T speak? Fellow- 
sinner, I call upon you at this time to enlist in this strug- 
gle. Think of its unspeakable sublimity — Marathon and 
Leuctra dwindle into insignificance before it. Think of the 
achievements which have already marked it — the deliver- 
ance of millions of our race from the cruel captivity of hell. 
Think of its illustrious dead — martyrs who shrunk not from 
all the sufferings that cruelty could devise, and who " count- 
ed not their own lives dear unto them so flint they might 



The Church as the Lamb's Wife. 265 

finish their course with joy." Think of its unseen specta- 
tors — the " cloud of witnesses" who surround us, angels 
from their thrones of splendor, and demons from their seats 
of woe. Think of the " Captain of our salvation," he 
" whom the armies of heaven follow, and who hath on his 
vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and 
Lord of lords." Think, too, of the reward which he offers, 
a reward brilliant beyond thought, measureless as eternity. 
Refuse us not. Now abandon your rebellion, now join our 
blood-besprinkled bands, now help us storm the strongholds 
of Satan. Soon from every hill-top shall float the banner 
of the cross; soon through every dark valley shall rever- 
berate the trump of Messiah's gospel; soon the wilderness 
and the solitary place shall be glad, and deserts rejoice and 
blossom as the rose; soon from all nations, and peoples, 
and kindreds, and tongues, shall ascend the sublime accla- 
mation : "Alleluia ; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ! " 
10 



SERMON XXII. 



The Stone and Its Destiny. 

" Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which 
smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake 
them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, 
and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of 
the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that 
no place was found for them ; and the stone that smote the image 
became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." (Daniel ii. 



EBUCHADKEZZAR, in the course of his reign, had 



the prophet, is one of the most encouraging visions record- 
ed in Scripture. It gives, under impressive symbols, an 
outline of the history of our world from the time of the 
Babylonish monarch to the complete and universal estab- 
lishment of the kingdom of Christ. "Asleep upon his bed," 
the king saw, with the inner eye of his soul, an image of 
colossal size. This image, we learn, represented the four 
great monarchies which should bear rule in succession over 
the civilized world, and also the minor kingdoms which 
should come into existence on the termination of the last 
of these monarchies. The head of gold denoted the Baby- 
lonish empire; the silver breast and arms, the Medo-Per- 
sian; the brazen body and loins, the Greco-Macedouian; 
the iron legs, the Roman; and the feet and toes — part of 
iron and part of clay — the ten kingdoms which succeeded 
the Roman power, and which comprise to-day the greater 
portion of modern Europe. While the king was gazing on 
the image, awed by its terribleness, yet fascinated by its 
splendor, his attention was attracted to a singular opera- 
tion — a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands. 



34, 35.) 




The first, as explained by 



The Stone and Its Destiny. 



267 



No sooner was the stone detached than it began to roll 
through the air, impelled by no outward force. As he 
watched it he saw that its course was toward the imposing 
image. On, on it sped, pausing not in its career, nor swerv- 
ing for a moment from the directness of its aim. With ter- 
rific force it smote the image upon its feet, which were of 
iron and clay. Instantly the image was shivered into piec- 
es, and its fragments borne away by the winds of heaven. 
And now the stone, as though instinct with life, expands 
and grows. It becomes a great mountain, and fills the 
whole earth. According to Daniel, this stone represents 
the kingdom of God — in other words, the Christian religion. 

Three facts respecting Christianity are brought to view 
by the history of the stone. 

I Its supernatural origin. "The stone was cut out of 
the mountain without hands." 

The religion of Christ is evidently divine. It is not a 
creation of human genius, nor the enactment of human 
power. It was an emanation from the mind of God; an 
expression of his will and pleasure in regard to our race ; 
a system of recovery designed to deliver us from the bond- 
age and corruption of sin, and to bestow on us the liberty 
of the sons of God. Numerous have been the efforts to ex- 
plain, on natural principles, the origin of Christianity ; but 
such efforts have been futile, they have been like the fret- 
ting of waves against the majestic rock that looks down un- 
moved, even when they assume their most threatening as- 
pect. Look at the central figure of this system — He who, 
though invisible, wields the scepter and governs the prog- 
ress of this kingdom. We have the record of his life in 
the four Gospels., One of two hypotheses is inevitable: 
either such a person as Jesus of Nazareth really lived on 
earth, or the evangelists gave form and life to a mere idea 
which never had an outward embodiment, and existed no- 



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where but in their own minds. On the supposition that he 
existed as described, his divine personality cannot be de- 
nied. That his life was ideal is beyond the range of ra- 
tional belief. It would have been utterly impossible for 
the evangelists, living in the age they did, surrounded by 
the influences they were, with their slender acquirements 
and native prejudices, to have conceived such a character 
as Jesus Christ. Such a conception, under such circum- 
stances, would have been as great a miracle as any they 
relate. Christ is an absolutely perfect character. Grant 
him to be what the evangelists proclaim him to be — Deity 
incarnate— and in no relation which he sustains, in no sit- 
uation in which he is placed, in no act which he performs, 
in no disposition which he reveals, in no word which he ut- 
ters, can you detect the slightest moral obliquity. Which 
is the most reasonable — to believe that this marvelous life 
was the invention of a few obscure Jews, or that it was the 
record of what was actually seen? the photograph of one 
who walked our earth, breathed its air, gazed upon its land- 
scapes, felt its sorrows, and labored to remove its curse? 
Look at the substance of his teachings, as given in the Gos- 
pels and expanded in the Epistles. Are not his doctrines 
stamped with the impress of divinity? You cannot study 
them carefully and without bias, bearing in mind the wants 
and aspirations of humanity, without being convinced of 
the truth of St. Paul's affirmation: "God, who at sundry 
times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the 
fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto 
us by his Son." Man would know something of himself — 
Christ teaches the existence of the soul, its dignity, its ac- 
countability, and its immortality. Man would know some- 
thing of God — Christ teaches his spirituality, his unity, his 
ubiquity, his omnipotence, his wisdom, his purity, and his 
love. Man, conscious of his separation from God, would 



The Stone and Its Destiny. 



269 



know how he may be reconciled — Christ teaches that he 
himself is the medium of approach, and that by his suffer- 
ings and death, whieh were an all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, 
a way has been opened by which sinners may be brought 
into a state of acceptance and fellowship with God. Who 
else has shed such light on these difficult but momentous 
questions? Socrates and Plato, Confucius, Buddha, Zoro- 
aster, Mohammed, how are their sayings thrown into eclipse 
by the utterances of the Man of Nazareth ! May we not 
put the question which was propounded by his cotempora- 
ries — "Whence hath this man this wisdom?" Jesus, ex- 
cept in his childhood, was never beyond the limits of Pal- 
estine. His home was in the midst of a rural, unlettered, 
and degraded population; he had access to no famous 
schools; he was unassisted by the patronage of the wise or 
the great; the most of his life was spent in manual la- 
bor at a carpenter's bench; his ministry lasted but three 
years ; he was only thirty-three when he was crucified. Un- 
der such conditions the question forces itself upon us and 
challenges an answer, " Whence hath this man this wis- 
dom ? " Whence, but from the hidden yet overflowing 
fountain of his Godhead? Look at the influence of Chris- 
tianity wherever it has been embraced. 4, 'The kingdom of 
God is not in word, but in power." In the beautiful lan- 
guage of Isaiah, it has " opened rivers in high places, and 
fountains in the midst of the valleys." It has clothed many 
a moral waste with the beauties of holiness, and caused it 
to resound with the voice of salvation ; it has cheered the 
captive in his dungeon, and the widow in her poverty, and 
the dying in his agony; it has rescued the sensualist from 
the tyranny of his lusts, evoked the noblest kindness from 
the frozen breast of avarice, and constrained the lawless to 
sobriety and the pursuit of virtue; it has softened the an- 
tipathies of nations, given wings to the feet of philanthro- 



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py, and inspired the hope of millennial glory. What have 
other systems done in comparison with this? Go where 
Buddhism reigns, go where the False Prophet can number 
his votaries, go where Christianity is not, and what see you 
but degradation and misery? The religion of Christ, con- 
sidered in its influence as well as its discourses, must be ac- 
knowledged to be divine. It surpasses all human inven- 
tion. It never could have been formulated by the human 
brain and heart of any age. The stone was quarried 
by none other than the hands of the " mighty God of Is- 
rael." It is both "the power of God and the wisdom of 
God." 

The history of the stone as descriptive of Christianity 
teaches, 

II. Its irresistible might. "Thou sawest till that a stone 
was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his 
feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the 
gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff 
of the summer threshing-floors, and the wind carried them 
away, that no place was found for them." 

That Christianity, though of divine origin, would en- 
counter opposition, is assumed by the antagonism between 
the stone and the image. That this opposition would be 
protracted and formidable is to be inferred from the fact 
that the image included in symbol the chief political pow- 
ers of ancient and modern times. The opposition indeed 
reaches back to a period anterior to the time of the vision ; 
it began with Cain, who w T as the first to show T his hostility 
to the Divine method of saving mankind ; and it has raged 
with more or less violence down to the present. The image 
naturally suggests a consideration of the opposition which 
has marked the different empires and kingdoms it repre- 
sents. Take the Babylonish empire — the head of gold. 



The Stone and Its Destiny. 



271 



You see Nebuchadnezzar striving to establish a world- 
wide idolatry, which if successful would have left no room 
for the introduction of any other religious system. Take 
the Medo-Persian empire — the breast and arms of silver. 
You see Haman plotting to extirpate the whole Jewish 
race — that race from which should come "the Shepherd, the 
Stone of Israel." Take the Greco-Macedonian empire — 
the body and thighs of brass. You see Antiochus Epiph- 
anes, like Nebuchadnezzar, seeking to paganize the whole 
world — not indeed by the establishment of one uniform idol- 
atry, but by the extinction of all worship of the true God. 
Take the Roman empire — the legs of iron. As iron is 
the hardest of all metals, so the opposition became more 
intense and determined. 

The stone which had been preparing for centuries is now 
detached from the mountain and launched on its sublime 
and beneficent career. Apostles and evangelists go forth 
proclaiming salvation through the blood of a crucified Sav- 
iour ; but enemies confront them at every step. They 
have to contend with the fierce prejudice of the Jews, the 
tyranny of emperors, the treachery of false friends, the 
malice of priesthoods, the popular but illusive reasonings 
of philosophers, the pomp and splendor of heathen rituals, 
and the passions of an ignorant and immoral people. Take 
the ten kingdoms which succeeded the Roman empire — 
the toes, part of iron and part of clay. They are held to- 
gether in their opposition by the feet. That the feet are 
not spoken of as representing a secular kingdom, but are 
considered in connection with the toes, is singular. They 
certainly perform an important office in keeping the toes 
of the image in place; and we notice, moreover, that it is 
the feet which receive the fatal blow inflicted by the stone. 
This silence is significant. We are led to look for some- 
thing answering to the feet ; and we have it in those false 



272 



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systems of religion which have their center in the capitals 
of the two great divisions of the Eoraan empire — the east- 
ern and the western — Constantinople and Rome. Take the 
most formidable of these — the papacy, a direct offshoot of 
the Roman empire, its seat the ancient metropolis of that 
empire. We see an organization which can scarcely be 
called a kingdom, yet wielding a sway vaster and more 
powerful than any kingdom, and as such waging war 
against the Christian system, and by its influence holding 
together for centuries the foremost of the European king- 
doms in their opposition to the gospel. That we do not 
err in identifying the papacy in part with the feet is evi- 
dent from a parallel vision given by Daniel in a subsequent 
chapter of his prophecies. The four great empires are 
there described under the figure of four great beasts. The 
fourth beast is generally admitted to stand for the Roman 
empire. This beast had at first ten horns, which represent- 
ed the ten kingdoms which should spring up on the subver- 
sion of the Roman empire. Soon another horn appears, 
weak at first, but in a short time taking precedence over all 
the rest. Three horns are plucked up before it — meaning, 
perhaps, the utter subjection of three of the kingdoms to 
the will of this new power. In this last horn were " eyes 
like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things." 
He whom it represents, it is said, "shall speak great words 
against the Most High, and think to change time and laws." 
Few of our most thoughtful commentators have failed to 
see in this horn a description of the papacy. It fitly de- 
notes the proud assumptions and swelling blasphemies, the 
mighty influence and persecuting spirit, of that system. As 
the one horn among its fellows, subjecting some and lord- 
ing it over others, so in the earlier vision the feet are seen 
controlling the toes, and utilizing their strength, whether of 
iron or clay, in opposition to the stone. In the one vision 



The Stone and Its Destiny. 273 

it is the smiting of the feet by the stone which is the pre- 
lude to the entire destruction of the image, and in the oth- 
er vision it is said of the horn: "It made war with the 
saints, and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of 
days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the 
Most High ; and the time came that the saints possessed the 
kingdom." In the feet, therefore, we see the same enemy 
to Christianity that we see in the horn. It is to be ob- 
served that the feet and toes are described as part of iron 
and part of clay. This denotes that their opposition will 
be at times strong as iron, and again weak as potter's clay. 
The accuracy of this description is confirmed by history. 
Ever since their formation there has been more or less op- 
position to Christianity in every kingdom in Europe, an op- 
position which is due directly or indirectly to the false sys- 
tems by which they are controlled. In some kingdoms the 
opposition has been longer and fiercer than in others. The 
iron has predominated in France, Italy, and Spain; the 
potter's clay in Germany, Great Britain, and Holland. 
The feet — the religion of Mohammed, and the Greek and 
Romish Churches — still hold the governments of Europe, 
by their traditions or doctrines, in opposition to the gospel. 
Even in England it is seen in the existence of an Estab- 
lished Church — an idea of popish origin, and which in the 
case of the Non-conformists, and recently of the Wesleyan 
Methodists, gives proof of its intolerance of the worship of 
God in primitive simplicity. In the interpretation of the 
feet and toes, Daniel intimates that attempts will be made 
to combine the iron and clay into one homogeneous mass in 
opposition to the stone. He says, "They shall mingle 
themselves with the seed of men." By "the seed of men" 
we understand human legislation. It is the word of man, 
in contradistinction to the word of God, "the incorrupti- 
ble seed, which liveth and abideth forever." " The kings 
10* 



274 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



of the earth shall set themselves, and the rulers take coun- 
sel together against the Lord and against his anointed." 
But their union will be of short duration; "they shall not 
cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." 
Influences will be at work dissolving their alliances and an- 
nulling their decrees. They will, for the most part, act in- 
dependently of each other, showing alternately the strength 
of the iron and the weakness of the clay. This is now no 
longer prophecy, but existing fact. While the image thus 
discloses the opposition which Christianity must encounter, 
the stone reveals to us its irresistible might. " The stone 
smote the image upon his feet which were of iron and clay, 
and brake them t<^ pieces." We are not to infer from this 
that there had been no previous collisions. The vision only 
describes the last and decisive blow ; other collisions are im- 
plied. The stone struck the head of gold in the days of 
Nebuchadnezzar, when, rather than acquiesce in the estab- 
lishment of a world-wide idolatry, Shadrach, Meshach, and 
Abed-nego permitted themselves to be cast into the midst 
of a burning fiery furnace. The stone struck the silver 
breast and arms in the days of Ahasuerus, when at the peril 
of her life Esther stood up against the murderous Haman, 
and defeated his cruel purpose of destroying the Jewish 
nation, and with it the holy seed. The stone struck the 
body and thighs of brass in the days of Antiochus Epiph- 
anes, when the brave Maccabees consecrated themselves to 
the preservation of the worship of the true God. The 
stone struck the legs of iron in the days of the Roman em- 
perors, when, at the preaching of the apostles and their suc- 
cessors, temples fell, idols were abolished, philosophies su- 
perseded, and the name of Jehovah magnified by millions. 
The stone has struck the feet and the toes, and its resonant 
clash has been heard, as in the person of Luther it fell 
upon the iron ; and again in Wesley, on the potter's clay. 



The Stone and Its Destiny. 



275 



But these are only preliminary strokes. The success at- 
tending them was only partial and incomplete. The grand, 
final stroke remains to be given. And can we doubt that 
it will be given after witnessing what the stone has already 
accomplished? When that stroke shall fall we cannot say; 
we feel satisfied, however, that it cannot be far off. It is 
true there are signs of increasing vitality in the feet — Mo- 
hammedanism and the false Churches of the East and 
West ; and we shall not be surprised if papacy at least re- 
gains some of its olden power before there shall descend 
upon it the last terrific blow. This will be in accordance 
with Scripture, which declares that "the day of Christ shall 
not come, except there come a falling away first, and that 
man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." But wheth- 
er near or distant, the blow is in reserve; it will descend at 
last with crushing violence; the dream is certain, and the 
interpretation thereof sure ; when, as consequent on the de- 
struction of the feet, " the iron, the clay, the brass, the sil- 
ver, and the gold, shall be broken to pieces together, and 
become as the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and 
the wind shall carry them away, that no place shall be 
found for them." 

We are not to conclude from this that all national dis- 
tinctions and civil rule will terminate with the triumph of 
Christianity. Human governments, apart from their abuse, 
have the sanction and approval of Jehovah. " The powers 
that be" are said to be "ordained of God;" and the law of 
the gospel is that he that resisteth them "resisteth the or- 
dinance of God." In the poetic description of the millen- 
nial Church given by St. John, the nations are represent- 
ed as walking in the light of it, and the kings of the earth 
as bringing "their glory and honor into it." 

The annihilation of the image denotes the extinction of 
all opposition to Christianity on the part of the chief polit- 



276 



Sermons by R. L. Harper. 



ical powers of the world. It refers particularly to the king- 
doms of Europe — the ten toes which shall be in existence 
at the time of the smiting of the feet. These kingdoms 
have inherited the authority which was wielded successive- 
ly by the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron — the Bab- 
ylonish, Persian, Macedonian, and Roman powers. With 
the destruction of the feet — the reign and influence of the 
false systems which dominate in Eastern and Western Eu- 
rope — all their authority will be given to the furtherance 
of the gospel. They will be no longer controlled by selfish- 
ness, jealousy, pride, hatred, or superstition. They will exist 
only to subserve and promote the interests of Christ, 

The history of the stone, as descriptive of Christianity, 
teaches, 

III. Its final supremacy. "The stone that smote the im- 
age became a great mountain, and filled the w r hoie earth." 

With the elimination of every opposing element from the 
governments of Europe, and the consecration of the mill- 
ions of their subjects to the spread of Christianity, the con- 
version of the world must inevitably follow. The influence 
of Europe enlisted without reserve on the side of Christian- 
ity would give it such ascendency in the minds of heathen 
nations as would lead them at once to renounce their idol- 
atries and embrace the worship of the true God. The hour 
of that ascendency is coming! The stone shall become a 
great mountain, and fill the whole earth! Yes, a great 
mountain ! It shall tower high over the thrones of kings ; 
princes shall rule in righteousness and judge with equity. 
It shall tower high over the marts of commerce; there 
shall no more be seen "the wicked balances and the bag 
of deceitful weights." It shall tower high over the walks 
of literature ; the student shall no more be annoyed with 
the rantings of a skeptical philosophy, nor seduced by the 
bland whisperings of a specious sensualism. It shall tower 



The Stone and Its Destiny. 



277 



high over the social circle; other standards and maxims 
shall be adopted ; " the vile person shall no more be called 
liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful." It shall tower 
high over the avocations of life; its presence shall be seen 
in the humblest spheres; " in that day shall there be upon 
the bells of the horses, holiness unto the Lord ; and the pots 
in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the al- 
tar." 

The stone shall become a great mountain, and fill the 
whole earth. It shall be found on every continent and in 
every zone. It shall rise amid the Western wilds, upon the 
snows of the far North, in the heart of Africa, above the 
teeming districts of China and Japan, and in the remotest 
islands of the sea. 

And the stone shall be enduring; the kingdom will be 
an everlasting kingdom; "it shall not be left to other peo- 
ple, but it shall stand forever." 

Glorious consummation! How should it cheer and en- 
courage us as Christians in our conflict with evil ! The 
image still stands, and flings its dark shadow over the lar- 
gest portions of the globe. The stone yet seems small and 
insignificant; there are voices that insinuate its insufficien- 
cy; but let us take courage from the final issue as made 
known in this vision. Strong and colossal as is the form 
opposed to it, the stone triumphs; the image is shivered, 
and not a fragment is left as a memento of its existence. 
Things are not always what they seem. An unseen arm 
propels the stone, and that arm is the arm of the Eternal 
God. "He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he Jiath 
set judgment in the earth ; and the isles shall wait for his 
law." 

A word of warning. Do not oppose the progress of the 
stone. All opposition is useless and vain. The stone is 
destined to triumph; no human hand can stop it. You 



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may dam up a river, but its waters rising shall wash over 
your obstructions, and with increased volume roll onward 
to the sea. It is thus with Christianity. From Celsus down 
to Tom Paine, from Julian and Nero down to the persecu- 
tors of Madagascar, men have sought to impede or turn 
back the gospel; but it has risen triumphantly above the 
barriers of their wrath ; and while they sleep in dishonored 
or forgotten graves, it is rolling on in crystal clearness and 
with a swifter speed to the ocean of millennial glory. Op- 
position is not only vain, but perilous. The stone you with- 
stand is endowed with divine strength. " Hast thou an arm 
like God?" " Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be 
broken ; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him 
to powder." 



SERMON XXIII. 

Our Lord's Condescension to Sinners. 

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my 
voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with 
him, and he with me." (Rev. iii. 20.) 

THE style of Scripture, like that of all Oriental compo- 
sitions, is to a considerable extent pictorial. Certain- 
ly such a style is by far the most impressive, and is highly 
proper in the exhibition of truths which are in themselves 
thrilling or sublime. In our text this style is used with ev- 
ident effect. The design is to illustrate the work of man's 
salvation. A homely picture is selected, which, neverthe- 
less, is exceedingly appropriate, and arrests the mind as by 
a sudden spell. A house looms up before us, the door of 
which is closed. The house represents the human heart. 
A friend is at the door, knocking for admission. He has 
been knocking long; but although his "head is filled with 
dew, and his locks with the drops of night/' he is knocking 
still. This friend is Jesus. Admission is desired with the 
view of administering relief to the uncivil but impoverished 
and wretched inmate. This relief denotes salvation. 

But to profit by the picture we must give it more than a 
passing glance. Let us then devote a few moments to the 
contemplation of the house of the human heart. We will 
consider it under three aspects: as closed, as sought, as 
blessed. 

L The heart closed. Closed against Christ, closed against 
salvation. 

, 1. It is sometimes closed by inconsideration. 

We are naturally unmindful of our true interest and 
duty. Salvation can alone satisfy the wants of our im- 



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mortal nature ; only Jesus can bestow the inestimable gift ; 
and yet, to human shame, the complaint goes sounding 
down the ages: "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass 
his master's crib, but Israel doth not know, my people doth 
not consider." " Sporting themselves with their own/Le- 
ceivings," gives in epitome the life-labor of many. Pleas- 
ure wooes, and though they have been told that there is 
poison beneath the siren tongue, and death in her dreamy 
smile — regardless of danger — they yield themselves up to 
her potent sway. Wealth invites, and though they have 
been warned that " the love of money is the root of all 
evil," and that "they that will be rich fall into temptation 
and a snare," self-confident and proud they bow down to 
the golden shrine. Honor calls, and though they have 
been assured that her temple is situated on a stormy peak, 
is hard to attain, and when attained one knows not but 
some unsuspected avalanche or inconsiderate step may 
plunge him into ignominy, defiantly they crowd up the 
shining steep. Meanwhile the claims of religion are over- 
looked. " Wisdom crieth without, she utter eth her voice in 
the streets; she crieth in the chief places of concourse; in 
the opening of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words, 
saying, How long ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?" 
But her appeal is lost in the babble of conflicting voices. 
Rarely do thoughts of a serious character find ingress to 
the mind. If any such effect an entrance they are as un- 
welcome intruders, disturbers of sweet slumber and pleas- 
ant dreams. "Avaunt, grim phantoms! let our joy be un- 
mixed!" is the cry of the votaries of earth. "Merry to- 
day, to-morrow we die!" the opiate with which they soothe 
an uneasy conscience. And thus reckless and obstinate, 
with a Saviour at their side, and salvation within reach, 
they speed to their fate " as a fly to a candle, or as a drunk- 
ard to a fight." O inconsideration, what thousands hast 



Our* Lord's Condescension to Sinners. 



281 



thou ruined ! Could we for a moment draw aside the veil 
and view thy victims in their torment — could we catch a 
glimpse of them as they now toss on burning billows, and 
hear them as they wildly deplore the mad folly which 
brought them to their doom — surely the wail of Anathoth's 
priest would go leaping from our lips: a O that my head 
were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might 
weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my 
people! " 

2. The heart is sometimes closed by prejudice. 

The Nazarene and his doctrines have never been popular 
with men. Adverse opinions have been formed respecting 
them, and handed down like so many heir-looms, from gen- 
eration to generation. It would be difficult to enumerate 
all the alleged grounds of -objection. Prejudice has been 
conceived against religion because of the duties it imposes. 
As might be expected, the carnal mind has no taste for 
such exercises as prayer and thanksgiving, and no relish for 
such requirements as meekness and temperance, self-denial 
and systematic benevolence. Prejudice has arisen because 
of the hypocrisy of many religious professors. It is indeed 
to be regretted that such hypocrisy exists, but it ought nev- 
er to be forgotten that the existence of counterfeit by no 
means proves the non-existence of genuine coin. Prejudice 
has also arisen on the ground that godliness is calculated to 
throw a gloom over the spirit, and render life a burden and 
misery; whereas, if the Scripture be consulted, and if the 
testimony of thousands may be relied on, piety is an angel 
of mercy sent to cheer the heart in its loneliness, and fling 
rainbows of hope over all the misfortunes of time. Unrea- 
sonable as such prejudice is, it is nevertheless exceedingly 
difficult to remove; men cling to it with a drowning man's 
tenacity. Few are quick to detect their error. Many live 
for years — yea, often till life's close — mistaking mere feeling 



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for facts, and the results of whims and personal idiosyncra- 
sies for the conclusions of a healthy and vigorous under- 
standing. Prejudice is always more or less proud. Those 
who are its victims are often found lauding their infirmity 
as though they deemed it a sign of peculiar strength. Prej- 
udice is seldom able to see any good in that which it con- 
demns. Like a vapor, it dims the aspect of things; like 
colored glass, it disguises them. Verily a no mean foe is 
prejudice. Satan cannot reckon on a warmer ally in his 
dark and vengeful work. Prejudice kept the Jewish na- 
tion from owning and receiving the Redeemer. Prejudice 
steeled the hearts of the heathen against the early evangel- 
ists, kindled the torch and fired the stake when so many 
suffered martyrdom. Prejudice opposed our modern re- 
formers, often made their words to fall like spent arrows to 
the ground, and brought from them the tearful lament, 
"Who hath believed our report?" And alas! to-day prej- 
udice is one of the chief barriers to the progress of the 
truth, and to the universal reign of the Messiah. 

3. The Saviour is sometimes excluded from the heart by pre- 
sumption. 

In religious as well as in secular matters, it is common 
for men to be " wise in their own conceit." Here, as else- 
where, pride of understanding is their delight and bane. 
On their own fallible judgment they are disposed to rely in 
preference to the revealed will of God; and often they do 
so to their everlasting regret. 

Presumption, as opposed to Christ, displays itself in va- 
rious ways. Many presume that they have no need of the 
blessing that he brings them. This was the sin and ulti- 
mate ruin of the Laodiceans, to whom our text was prima- 
rily addressed. They boasted that they were "rich and in- 
creased with goods, and had need of nothing ; and knew 
not that they were wretched, and miserable, and poor, and 



Our Lord's Condescension to Sinners. 



283 



blind, and naked." Others, admitting their need of salva- 
tion, presume to seek it independently of Christ. "Being 
ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to estab- 
lish their own righteousness, they submit not to the right- 
eousness of God." A still larger number, acknowledging 
their need of salvation, and regarding Christ as the sole 
dispenser of this grace, presume postponing its acceptance 
until some future period. They know their duty, but they 
do it not. "Go thy way for this time; when I have a con- 
venient season, I will call for thee," is their response to the 
messenger of mercy. Alas! the "convenient season," so 
fondly counted on, seldom comes. Lured on by the fleet- 
ing but fascinating vanities around them, they observe 
not time's rapid flight ; and while still absorbed in fresh 
schemes of worldly enterprise and aggrandizement, they are 
summoned to answer for their presumption at the bar of an 
offended God. "Thus," in the language of another, "they 
make a bridge of their own shadow, and so perish in the 
waves." We proceed to consider, 

II. The heart sought. Sought by Christ, sought that it 
may be saved. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock." 

This visit is characterized by three important features. 

1. By the most amazing condescension. " Behold, /stand." 

Ask you who it is that thus stands at the door of the hu- 
man heart? It is no other than the King eternal, immor- 
tal, invisible. It is He who, in the greatness of his power, 
laid the foundations of the earth and clothed it with beauty 
like a garment. It is He who stretcheth forth the heavens 
as a curtain, who calleth the stars by name, bringing forth 
Mazaroth in his season, and guiding Arcturus with his 
sons. It is He whom angels praise to harp-notes, breath- 
ing, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto 
Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for- 
ever and ever ! " Such is the Person who presents himself a 
suppliant at the door of the sinner's heart. 



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2. This visit is further characterized by the most unwea- 
ried patience. "Behold, I stand" 

It might have been supposed that when once denied ad- 
mission to the heart, incensed at the indifference and in- 
gratitude displayed, the heavenly visitor would instantly 
depart. To our relief we find that "his thoughts are not 
our thoughts, neither are his ways our ways. For as the 
heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways higher 
than our ways, and his thoughts than our thoughts." " The 
Lord is long-suffering to us- ward, not willing that any 
should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 
His patience is his glory ; he numbers it among his noblest 
attributes; he points to it as among the brightest jewels in 
the crown of love. "And Moses said, I beseech thee, show 
me thy glory." And the Lord passed by before him, and 
proclaimed: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gra- 
cious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." 
In the estimation of the Saviour, if not of its possessor, the 
soul is of incalculable value. He shed his precious blood 
that he might save it; he endured the eclipse of his Fa- 
ther's face that on it might not descend the mist of darkness 
forever. It is his by the twofold titles of creation and re- 
demption. He visits it that he may beautify and bless it. 
It has become a den of anarchy and shame; it is hateful 
and hating, deceiving and being deceived; vile affections 
dwell there; voices proceed from it : " Who is the Almighty, 
that we should serve him?" "Cause the Holy One of Is- 
rael to cease from before us!" The Saviour would cleanse 
it from its defilement, and uplift it from its debasemeut ; he 
would make it a palace, a temple. Stripping it of its idols, 
he would invest it with adornments more beauteous than 
the hues of flowers, more dazzling than the robes of angels ; 
he would reign in it, making it his throne, and filling it 
with the corruscations of indwelling Deity. Unwelcomed, 



Our Lord's Condescension to Sinners. 285 



his authority denied, his love spurned, he turns not away 
from it abruptly and in anger — he " stands" Full well he 
knows the fate which must befall it if finally abandoned. 
He has no pleasure in its reprobation and destruction; 
hence he lingers, and haply it may hearken to his admoni- 
tions and entreaties. Oft, when wearied by its obstinacy, 
his step is lifted to depart, " his heart is turned within him, 
his repentings are kindled together/' and lengthening his 
stay, he renews his solicitations, sighing: " How shall I give 
thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel?" O 
marvelous forbearance! Where in all the range of vision 
shall we find its equal? Were one of us to be denied ad- 
mission to some humble dwelling that we had visited with 
purposes of love, quickly would we resent the insult and 
take our final leave. But here, not hour after hour only, 
but day after day, and month after month — ay, often till 
the sinner's head is hoary and his heart a noisome sepul- 
cher — the Saviour stands, soliciting admission. 

3. This visit is characterized by the most persistent effort. 
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock." 

Real love is not simply sentimental, but practical. The 
Saviour's love is emphatically "in deed and in truth." 
Knowing the importance of gaining access to the heart, he 
employs every means available to that end, save what would 
directly interfere with the freedom of the will. He appeals 
to the heart by the ministry of his word. " Is not my word 
like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that 
breaketh the rock in pieces?" As it falls on the ear, im- 
bued with the Spirit's power, it strikes judgment and con- 
science and will, and rings through all the chambers of the 
soul. Its awful threatenings alarm and terrify, while its 
gracious promises soften and invite. "O sinner!" it cries, 
"wherefore art thou thus intrenched in thy wickedness? is 
it not the will of thy Creator that thou shouldst be renewed 



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in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness? Where- 
fore then art thou disobedient to his will ? Arise, call upon 
thy God. Who hath hardened himself aginst him and 
prospered? Woe to him that striveth with his Maker!" 
But lest the sinner despair and harden himself in iniquity, 
it changes its voice and addresses him in other tones. 
Strains of melody, sweet as from blessed spirits uttering 
praise, float upon his ear : " God so loved the world that he 
gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on 
him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "The 
Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was 
lost." "In whom we have redemption through his blood, 
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." 
But to make his word the more effective the Saviour sec- 
onds it by dispensations of his providence. The sinner is 
blessed, perhaps, with temporal prosperity; the horn of 
plenty pours its rich treasures into his lap ; health paints 
its rose on his cheek and darts its luster into his eyes; 
friends troop around him, anxious to outdo each other in 
offices of love. To him life is a gay summer scene with 
fragrant meadows and laughing streamlets, loitering breez- 
es and cloudless skies. All this is intended to melt his 
heart in gratitude to Him from whom proceedeth every 
good and perfect gift, and to prompt him to present himself 
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is his 
reasonable service. It may be that the sinner is stretched 
on a bed of sickness. It was but yesterday that he was busy 
conning his ledger or superintending his field; now, feeble 
and in pain, he finds himself borne steadily forward to the 
confines of the grave. Fear seizes him as an awful future, 
unlighted by a solitary ray, looms close at hand. He cries 
aloud for mercy; he implores God to spare him, promising, 
vowing, that if he will but raise him up he will open to 
him his heart, and enthrone him as its King. The Lord 



Our Lord's Condescension to Sinners. 



287 



hears him ; he rises from that bed of suffering and antici- 
pated death, and speedily regains his former strength. O 
what a loud, startling knock was that ! Sinner, has it been 
in vain ? 

It may be that a different providence is employed. The 
blight of bereavement falls on your home ; some loved one 
is taken away — a son, we may suppose. How you doted 
on that lad! what high hopes you entertained of his fut- 
ure! with what delight you gazed on his beaming counte- 
nance and expressive eye! Like a sweet dream he has fled. 
How difficult it was to realize your loss ! How drear you 
felt as you stood at the grave's mouth and saw his remains 
committed to kindred dust! How still more sad as on re- 
turning to your home you marked the vacant chair, the 
gap at the table or fireside, the silence no longer broken 
by a voice of musical flow! Ah! in that solemn hour, 
when thoughts of death and judgment, of duty and respon- 
sibility, came thronging on your mind, heard you not a 
whisper, soft, clear, penetrating — "Behold, I stand at the 
door, and knock?'' 

" Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, 
to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with 
the light of the living." Consider, 

III. The heart blessed. Blessed by Christ, blessed with 
salvation. "If any man hear my voice, and open the door, 
I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with 
me." 

The Laodiceans, to whom the words were originally ad- 
dressed, were a commercial people. Their city was noted 
for its wealth, its woolen manufactures, its ointments and 
cosmetics. The thoroughfare of numerous caravans on 
their way from the East, it was no uncommon thing for its 
citizens to hear the voice of venders in the streets, inviting 
their attention and offering to supply their wants. Proud 



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as they were of the products of their own looms and labo- 
ratories, such appeals would often be in vain. It is a fine 
conception of a popular writer, that our Saviour here rep- 
resents himself as a traveling merchant, the head of one of 
those caravans so familiar to the people of Laodicea. As 
such he wends his way through their midst, exhibiting his 
precious wares, and calling them to come forth from their 
dwellings, examine, and purchase. In tones of solemn 
warning he reproves their self-sufficiency, and apprises them 
of their real want. " Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased 
with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not 
that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, 
and naked." With melting compassion he urges them to 
seize the present opportunity to provide for their future and 
eternal welfare. "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried 
in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, 
that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy 
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye- 
salve, that thou mayest see." It is in vain — the sternest 
admonition and the gentlest entreaty are alike unheeded. 
The evening shades are gathering, and to-morrow he must 
depart. He is loath to leave without one more effort to per- 
suade the thoughtless and incredulous. A few hours re- 
main, and these, by denying himself of rest, he can dedi- 
cate to this work of love. Retracing his steps, he proceeds 
through the deepening gloom from house to house, and from 
door to door, exclaiming, while knocking loudly and im- 
portunately at each: "If any man hear my voice, and open 
the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and 
he with me! " 

We will briefly notice the blessings which Christ imparts 
to the soul that receives him. 
1. There is pardon. 

This is "the gold tried in the fire," the spiritual coin 



Our Lord's Condescension to Sinners. 



289 



which has been submitted to the test of infinite rectitude, 
and which shows upon its surface the stamp of the Divine 
countenance. To possess this gold is to be "rich," for it 
relieves of moral disability, and is the source of a peace 
which passeth understanding, and such as the world, with 
its untold treasures, is incapable of giving. Sinner, have 
you never sighed for forgiveness? Have you never longed 
to be delivered from the entail of guilt, and to be enriched 
with a sense of your acceptance with God ? You may be 
forgiven. " The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive 
sins." He now stands at the door of your heart. Hear 
you not his pleading voice— "0 Israel, thou hast destroyed 
thyself; but in me is thy help?" Call upon him while he 
is near ; welcome him to your heart ; embrace him with all 
the strength and fervor of your affections. The instant you 
receive him that instant you are forgiven ; you know at 
once "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he 
was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you 
through his poverty might be rich." 

2. Another blessing which Christ bestows is purity. 

This is the " white raiment " which is to clothe us — our 
need and our adornment. This snowy vestment was lost to 
us by the fall, and can only be restored by Christ. Our own 
righteousness, laud it as we may, is but as filthy rags; it is 
torn and defiled by pride and selfishness ; it may please 'us 
while immersed in moral darkness, but as soon as a ray of 
the true light falls upon it, we shudder at its hideousness. 
The glistering robe which Christ gives is the work of his 
Holy Spirit. It consists of those virtues which are the 
constituent parts of a perfect character; it is "love, joy, 
peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, 
temperance." Sinner, would you not be holy? O the 
blessedness of those who have "put off the old man, which 
is corrupt, and have put on the new man, which after God 



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is created in righteousness and true holiness!" This glo- 
rious dress may be yours; you have but to admit that Sav- 
iour who stands at the door of your heart, to be clothed in 
"raiment of needlework" redolent with "myrrh and aloes 
and cassia," and which no effort or ingenuity of your own 
could possibly provide. 

3. Still another blessing to be derived from Christ is the 
promise of eternal life. 

This is the "eye-salve" with which he anoints our vision, 
and discloses a future which would otherwise be uncertain 
or unknown. Here we are surrounded by the fleeting and 
the perishable; flowers bloom, but fade; forests wave in 
stately pride, but soon decay and fall ; on dome and spire, 
on pyramid and palace, on all the monuments of human 
might and skill, is written change. Nothing is enduring. 
We ourselves, the glory of creation, die and crumble into 
dust. There is hope, however, for the sons of men. 
" Our Saviour, Jesus Christ, hath abolished death, and 
brought life and immortality to light through the gos- 
pel." He not only reveals to us our natural immortal- 
ity, but promises to believers an eternity of joy in the pres- 
ence of his Father. O the rich vista of delight which he 
unfolds to all who by faith receive him! It is undimmed 
by tears, it is undarkened by a solitary grief! It is- bound- 
less, it is indescribable ! " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 
neither have entered into the heart of man the things 
which God hath prepared for them that love him." But 
"glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God ! " There 
crowns will forever flash upon our brows ; there palms will 
forever glitter in our hands ; there songs will forever war- 
ble from our lips. Such are some of the blessings with which 
Christ favors the soul that receives him. Sinner, is not that 
heart blessed, unspeakably blessed, that has welcomed such 
a Saviour ? 



Our Lord's Condescension to Sinners. 



291 



And now let me ask : Will you not accede to his solici- 
tations? You best show your appreciation of his love by 
prompt obedience to his commands. For long years, per- 
haps, he has stood at the door of your heart ; many a knock 
has he given, with the hope that you would admit him; his 
mercies have been showered upon you, and in a voice sweet- 
er than Dorian notes he has wooed you; his judgments 
have smitten you, and in tones like the rumbling of thun- 
der he has warned you ; your own conscience has risen up 
within you, and sternly rebuked you. And will you per- 
sist in your folly? Will you still refuse to admit the Divine 
Suppliant who stands at the door of your heart? 

A lady once told me that she was unable to sleep a whole 
night for having turned away a poor woman from her door 
just before retiring to rest. And can you be so lost to a 
sense of your duty and obligation — so dead — as to sleep at 
night, should you refuse the Saviour admission to your 
heart ? O were some prince of a long and lofty line, trav- 
ersing this land of ours, to pause at your dwelling and so- 
licit your hospitality, how welcome would he be ! Yet Je- 
sus comes to you ; Jesus, before whom all earthly kings are 
vanity; Jesus, whom princely seraphim attend, whom an- 
gels laud and magnify, and of whom all nature sings; Je- 
sus, who loves you, and who died for you; he comes to you, 
and with scarred hand — the hand which was pierced for 
your sake — knocks at the door of your heart ; and shall he 
come in vain ? 

In the silent midnight watches, 

List — thy bosom door! 
How it knocketh, knocketh, knocketh, 

Knocketh evermore ! 
Say not 'tis thy pulse's beating; 

'Tis thy heart of sin; 
'Tis thy Saviour knocks and crieth, 

"Kise, and let me in! " 



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Death comes on with reckless footsteps, 

To the hall and hut ; 
Think you death will tarry knocking, 

When the door is shut? 
Jesus waiteth, waiteth, waiteth, 

But the door is fast ! 
Grieved, away thy Saviour goeth ; 

Death breaks in at last ! 

Then 'tis thine to stand entreating 

Christ to let thee in ; 
At the gate of heaven beating, 

Wailing for thy sin. 
Xay, alas, thou guilty creature ! 

Hast thou then forgot ? 
Jesus waited long to know thee. 

Now he knows thee not. 



SERMON XXIV. 



The Teachings of the Great Mountains. 

"Thy righteousness is like the great mountains/' (Ps. xxxvi. 6.) 
YTTHILE traveling through the mountains, surveying 



V V with admiration and delight their grandeur and 
beauty, the words of the text kept recurring to my mind 
— " Thy righteousness is like the great mountains." I had 
often read the passage, without giving it any special at- 
tention, but now it came home to my heart with a force and 
significance which to me it had never before possessed. 

The psalmist evidently saw an analogy between "the 
righteousness " of God and " the great mountains." Where- 
in is* the likeness ? In what respects is " the righteousness" 
of God like "the great mountains?" The mountains are 
elevated. This is the first point of resemblance which 
strikes us. 

To a person whose life has been passed in a level country, 
whose eye has glanced only on plains, unrelieved by a sin- 
gle lofty eminence, the first view of mountains is the occa- 
sion of profound wonder. He may have gazed upon the 
towering works of man, upon cities with their palaces and 
temples, their domes and spires; but all suffer an eclipse, 
all sink into insignificance before these stupendous monu- 
ments of the handiwork of God. 

Never shall I forget the surprise and pleasure with which 
I have gazed upon mountains as they blushed in the rays 
of the morning sun. Never shall I forget the fascination 
which has held me as I have seen them aglow with the gold 
and the purple of departing day. There are mountains so 
tall that their summits are covered with perpetual snow. 
What a sight must be the Alps or the Andes with their 




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white peaks piercing the blue heavens! An Arabian poet 
writing of Lebanon says: "He bears winter on his head, 
spring on his shoulders, and autumn in his bosom, while 
summer lies sleeping at his feet." Like these tall mount- 
ains is the righteousness of God. It is unrivaled by any 
attainment of his creatures. It soars far above the purity 
of the purest man, far above the rectitude of the holiest 
angel. The atmosphere of a room may seem clear, but a 
ray of light darting through it reveals innumerable parti- 
cles of dust; so in the light of the Divine countenance the 
holiness of finite beings will ever show a want of absolute 
perfection. Job was perfect and upright, one that feared 
God and eschewed evil ; and yet when addressing the De- 
ity, he says : " Behold, I am vile ; what shall I answer thee? " 
Isaiah was a prophet ; and yet, when he saw the Lord sit- 
ting upon a throne, high and lifted up, he cried: "Woe is 
me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." 
The angels are "ministers" of God that "do his pleasure;" 
and yet, veiling their faces with their wings in token of their 
unworthiness, they cry, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of 
hosts ! " There are men who dare arraign the righteousness of 
God, who deny the integrity of his character, who question 
the justice of his providence, who find fault with his deal- 
ings with his creatures ; but such are answered by the psalm- 
ist in the words of our text: "Thy righteousness is like 
the great mountains." It is high, and the mysteries which 
it assumes to. some but proves its exceeding loftiness and 
the dimness and inadequacy of their vision. 

There is another fact respecting "the great mountains" 
which finds its parallel in "the righteousness of God." 
The mountains are found on every continent and in every 
zone. It is not only in America that they lift their tall 
forms above the horizon; they are found in the wilds of 
Africa, they rise amid the cultivated plains of Europe, 



The Teachings of the Great Mountains. 



295 



they extend over the vast territory of Asia, and they loom 
up amid the islands of the deep. Like the mountains, the 
righteousness of God is not confined to a solitary section ; it 
is to be seen in every part of his mighty empire. It is vis- 
ible in the life of every individual) in the history of every 
family, in the development of every nation, in the destiny 
of every order of created intelligence, in the frame-work of 
every star that glitters in immensity. 

You may have seen a man poor, friendless, and lying 
upon a bed of sickness. With a look of doubt you ask, "Is 
the righteousness of God here?" We answer, "Yes." If 
the sufferer is a depraved sinner, one living in rebellion 
against God, his misery is less than he deserves. But his 
troubles are corrective as well as punitive; they are de- 
signed to arrest him in his career of wickedness, and to lead 
him to reflection and repentance before it shall be too late. 
If the man is a saint, his trials are instruments of spiritual 
growth, sharp strokes from the great Master-hand, intended 
to fashion him into a nearer resemblance to Deity ; a brief win- 
ter-time of cold and snow 7 , to be followed by a glad summer- 
time of everlasting fruitage. "Our light affliction," says 
St. Paul, by way of comfort to believers — " Our light afflic- 
tion, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more 
exceeding and eternal w T eight of glory." But you point to 
a nation groaning under terrible calamities — it is wasted 
by famine, it is decimated by war. You ask, "Is the 
righteousness of God here?" "Yes," we reply. National 
calamity is often the result of national crime. Nations, if 
judged at all, must be judged in the present life. As God 
is slow to anger and of great mercy, in the case of nations 
as well as individuals, one generation may reap the harvest 
which other generations have sown. Thus the Jews of our 
Lord's time, " filling up the measure of their fathers," re- 
ceived the recompense which was due to the accumulated 



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sins of many generations. The consequences of national 
sin committed by former generations may, however, be 
averted or mitigated by the repentance and entreaties of a 
succeeding generation. Daniel, in the name of the chil- 
dren of Israel, confessed with shame and grief the sins of 
their fathers, and implored forgiveness ; and an angel was 
sent to assure him that soon their captivity should cease, 
and they be restored to the land from which they had been 
driven. The people of Nineveh clothed themselves in sack- 
cloth and cried mightily to God when they heard their 
doom from the lips of Jonah, and God was graciously 
pleased to suspend the punishment which centuries of crime 
had provoked. 

Sometimes God afflicts a nation in order to discipline and 
prepare it for some noble mission. He shakes the torch 
that it may blaze the brighter; he mows the grass that it 
may grow the greener; he rocks the tree that it may strike 
its roots the deeper. 

Brother, you may live in time of national depression, 
when oftentimes the corrupt and the fraudulent have the 
reins of power ; when labor is unremunerative and discon- 
tent abroad; you may have no conscious fault, and yet 
your own individual lot may be one of perplexity and sor- 
row ; but be steadfast, be patient, hold fast your integrity, 
and by and by, upon " a sea of glass mingled with fire," 
you w 7 ill find occasion to swell with countless myriads the 
song : " Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Al- 
mighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!" 
" Remember David and all his afflictions," and yet it was 
this same David who exclaimed, "Thy righteousness is like 
the great mountains!" it was this same David who saw the 
righteousness of God running through the universe, branch- 
ing forth in every direction and overlooking all things. 

But there are other points of resemblance between the 



The Teachings of the Great Mountains. 297 



righteousness of God and the great mountains. The mount- 
ains are essential to the rendering of our globe the beauti- 
ful and comfortable habitation which it is. Uproot the 
Andes, and the valley "of the Amazon would become a 
burning desert or an inland sea ; remove the Alps, and 
Southern Europe would at once lose its attractive land- 
scapes and productive plains. The mountains arrest the 
currents of cool air and condense them into clouds, and 
thus give the refreshing showers which temper the atmos- 
phere, and replenish the springs, and beautify the fields, 
and swell and mature the harvests. In the heart of the 
mountains are found the metals so necessary to modern civ- 
ilization. A thousand blessings flow to us from "the chief 
things of the ancient mountains and the precious things of 
the lasting hills." 

The righteousness of God, like the great mountains, is a 
source of innumerable blessings. It is as indispensable as 
any of his perfections to the welfare of the universe. What 
to us would be his wisdom, what his omnipotence, what his 
love, if unattended by inviolable rectitude? The thought 
of an unrighteous Deity could only fill our minds with ter- 
ror and dismay. It would dry up every fountain of peace, it 
would blight every blossom of love, it would render impossible 
the fruits of holiness, and yield nothing but the hollowness of 
the fruit of " the vine of Sodom." It is an essential element 
in the happiness of earth and heaven that unto our God "be- 
longeth righteousness." Hushed would be every harp in 
glory if it could not vibrate to the song, " Thou only art 
holy." It is because he is righteous that we know he will 
exact of us no more than is compatible with our fallen 
state; it is because he is righteous that we know he will 
have respect to the atonement of his Son, and remit our sins 
when we exercise faith in Christ ; it is because he is right- 
eous that we know that he will not forget his covenant, but 
11 



298 



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will protect and guide his people to the end of time. No 
wonder that David cried: "I will make mention of thy 
righteousness, even of thine only. My tongue also shall 
talk of thy righteousness all the day long." 

Mountains are often the defense of kingdoms and refuge 
of the oppressed. The independence of Switzerland has 
been due no doubt in part to the lofty mountains which sur- 
round it. A few mountain passes, bravely defended by in- 
ferior numbers, have often turned the invader's foot from a 
nation's soil. The caves of mountains were the resort of 
the Israelites when harassed by their enemies. David 
found refuge in them when persecuted by Saul. They were 
hiding-places for the Waldenses when pursued by the cruel 
minions of apostate Eome. 

The righteousness of God is also a bulwark of strength 
and the sanctuary of the weak. It may be that in serving 
God our course is condemned and our motives misconstrued ; 
we faint and are ready to halt ; but courage and fortitude 
revive when we think of the righteousness of God. A 
voice is heard saying : " Commit thy way unto the Lord ; 
trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass ; and he 
shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy 
judgment as the noonday." 

It may be that our integrity subjects us to poverty, and 
withholds from us the ease and enjoyment so coveted by 
men; we are in danger of being overtaken by discontent; 
but in the midst of our peril we find a sure retreat in the 
righteousness of God. Fleeing to his promises, we rejoice 
in hope, and sing to ourselves, "God is not unrighteous to 
forget our work and labor of love." It was the righteous- 
ness of God which helped to make the heroes of whom we 
read in the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. 
Their faith took hold of the fact "that he is, and that he is 
a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." That God 



The Teachings of the Great Mountains, 299 



" will render to every man according to his deeds, to them 
who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory 
and honor and immortality, eternal life," was to them a 
rocky fastness, a mountain stronghold, from which no de- 
vice or threat of enemy could drive them. 

The mountains suggest the idea of perpetuity. The 
works of man decay — his haughty palaces crumble into 
dust, his mighty cities are swept by the besom of destruc- 
tion ; but the hills of God stand immovable from age to age, 
their roots as strong and their brows as calm as when they 
were beheld by patriarchs of old. As emblematic of the 
righteousness of God, their stability speaks of its unchange- 
ableness. And accordingly we hear the psalmist declaring, 
"Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness." That 
God is unalterably pure; that in the remotest cycles of 
eternity he will be actuated by the principles of equity and 
truth ; that never for once will he deviate from the law of 
right — this to me is full of the deepest comfort. I can look 
forward to the future with a joy that is unspeakable and 
full of glory. I can anticipate the years that are unending 
with an exultation and delight that has no alloy. "His 
righteousness endureth forever." Never will he act toward 
me in any way but what is consistent with the strictest rec- 
titude. Never will he inflict upon me the slightest injus- 
tice. "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be re- 
moved," he says, "but my kindness shall not depart from 
thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed." 

The mountains are contemplated with different emotions 
according to the light in which they are viewed. I have 
seen them at midnight, when few stars shone in the sky, and 
they looked dark and dreary, and excited no feeling but 
one of sadness and melancholy; and I have seen them 
again when bathed in the light of the moon, and while here 
and there deep shadows were visible, yet a mild glory rest- 



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ed upon their summits, which filled my soul with serenest 
peace ; and I have seen them again when the monarch of 
day poured his rich beams upon their slopes, and I rejoiced 
at the panorama of forest and field, of garden and orchard, 
which they presented. And under what different aspects, 
and with what different feelings, is u the righteousness of 
God" contemplated by men. To the sinner, shrouded in 
nature's night, it is somber and cheerless, and only awak- 
ens thoughts which are painful and harrowing. There are 
others who, emerging from the darkness of sin, see "the 
righteousness of God" through the moonbeams of gospel 
promises, and to them it is partly robbed of its terrors and 
invested with garments of splendor. But to those on whom 
shines the light of the Divine countenance in all its clear- 
ness, "the righteousness of God" appears without a cloud, 
and the transcendent prospect it discloses evokes from them 
strains of adoring gratitude and praise. 

The question for us to ponder in conclusion is this: In 
what way, with what feelings, do I regard "the righteous- 
ness of God?" Is it to me a source of apprehension or de- 
light? Is it to me as Mount Sinai to the Jews in the wil- 
derness — the mount of "blackness and darkness and tem- 
pest" — the mount of which it is written, "So terrible was 
the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake?" 
Or, is it to me as Mount Zion to the pilgrim Israelite in 
after years, the mount of which he says, "Beautiful for 
situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion?" 

The fear or joy awakened by a consideration of the right- 
eousness of God discloses to us our spiritual state — whether 
under condemnation, or whether reconciled to God. 



SERMON XXV. 

Evanescent Goodness. 



"O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I 
do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the 
early dew it goeth away." (Hosea vi. 4.) 

THE subject is evanescent goodness. Our first endeavor 
will be to identify the persons who have their proto- 
types in Ephraim and Judah. • 

I see no reason to doubt that reference is here made to 
those who have been converted. The "goodness" of Ephra- 
im and Judah is not in appearance only, but is something 
real. There is a disposition on the part of some to ques- 
tion the previous piety of those who, after a brief profes- 
sion of religion, relapse into ungodliness. But to deny 
their former sincerity and acceptance before God, simply 
because they now sin, is to place ourselves in direct conflict 
with the inspired word. Nothing is more clearly taught in 
Scripture than the fact that good men may fall into the 
grossest sins. And from examples given we observe, more- 
over, that they may pass from the one state to the other 
with the most surprising rapidity. David, walking in the 
soft moonlight on the roof of his palace, meditating on the 
grandeur and goodness of God, is an eminent saint; the 
next morning he is stained with crime, fallen from holiness, 
and obnoxious to the wrath of God. Elijah, standing on 
Carmel and putting to shame the false prophets of Baal, is 
a picture of moral heroism ; the next day, as he flees from 
Jezebel, he is a picture of moral cowardice. Peter, con- 
fessing Jesus to be the Christ the Son of the living God, 
receives the benediction, " Blessed art thou, Simon-Bar- 



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jona;" a few moments afterward, forgetful of his position, 
and presuming to rebuke the Saviour, he receives the re- 
proof, " Get thee behind me Satan ; thou art an offense unto 
me." A good man in this life is always walking near 
treacherous quicksands and unsuspected precipices, and he 
needs to exercise the greatest sobriety and vigilance if he is 
to pursue his path in safety. It is on this account that so 
many admonitions are addressed to Christians by the sacred 
writers. " He will speak peace unto his people, and to his 
saints ; but let them not turn again unto folly." " When 
the righteous turneth from his righteousness and commit- 
teth iniquity, he shall even die thereby." "War a good 
warfare; holding faith and a good conscience; which some 
having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck." 
"Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." 

The persons represented by Ephraim and Judah have 
not only been converted, but have excited hopes of extreme 
usefulness. Their "goodness" has resembled "a morning 
cloud." 

It is difficult for us perhaps to appreciate the force of 
this figure. We must transport ourselves to those Eastern 
countries where prolonged droughts are common, and where 
oftentimes for months the heavens give no rain. We must 
imagine such a drought. The soil has become hard in the 
sun, and the air is filled with dust. The fountains have 
ceased to flow, and where the streamlets rippled and flashed 
are empty channels with nothing but mocking stones. The 
grass is all wilted, and the flowers have faded; the vine- 
yards and orchards are casting their fruit, and the grain- 
fields, on which the life of thousands depends, are already 
sending up stalks crowned only with hollow chaff. How 
the hearts of the people faint at the prospect ! What anx- 
iety is stamped upon their countenances! How they pray 
and look to the heavens for the first token of coming rain ! 



Evanescent Goodness. 



303 



At last, from a restless couch and troubled dreams they 
awake and look forth. Lo, in the west is the wished-for 
cloud ! As they gaze on it it becomes larger, and they ob- 
serve it deepening in its dusky hue. O the joy which now 
thrills their hearts ! How their eyes glisten and their lips 
quiver as they think of the return of verdant meadows and 
singing streams, of harvests saved and life preserved ! See 
them watching the cloud as it rolls onward! How they 
hail the first pattering rain-drops! With what trembling 
expectancy do they wait for the sight of the far-sweeping 
shower ! 

The persons portrayed in our text are likened to such a 
cloud. Soundly converted, they have given promise of 
great usefulness. It was thought that they would bless the 
moral wastes around them as the reviving rain the parched 
soil. There were those who rejoiced at their conversion in 
anticipation of seeing them swell many a dry channel with 
their newborn energy, and reclaim a scorched tract by 
their gentle, all-persuasive influence, and cause many a 
flower to bloom in unnoted corners by their timely sympa- 
thy, and start afresh many a tree of righteousness whose 
leaves had begun to wither and its unripe fruit to fall. 

Ephraim and Judah stand for those who have not only 
been converted and have excited hopes of extensive useful- 
ness, but have also been the means of accomplishing some 
good. Their " goodness''* has been as "the early dew." 

How refreshing and invigorating is the dew ! You may 
have surveyed the landscape at the close of a long summer 
day, during which an unclouded sun poured its fierce rays 
upon field and forest, and you noticed that the grass had 
lost its moist beauty and the leaves their enameled bright- 
ness. But daring the night, while you slept, the dew fell 
upon all the land ; and in the morning when you went forth 
you saw that the spires of grass had regained their fresh- 



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ness, and the multitude of leaves were clothed with their 
former luster, and each plant and vine, and sprout and tree, 
seemed to smile with conscious gladness. 

The persons described in the text have achieved results 
which may be compared to the early dew. They have 
brought joy to the heart of God. For years, perhaps, he 
had waited for their conversion; and when at last they 
bowed in penitence before him, acknowledging their sins, 
imploring his forgiveness, and yielding themselves unre- 
servedly to his will, his delight was such as could only be 
measured by himself. They have given pleasure to the 
holy angels. Those exalted beings had grieved to observe 
their wickedness and to know their danger; and when they 
saw them restored to the Divine favor and made heirs to the 
heavenly inheritance, they gave expression to their gratifi- 
cation in harmonious and triumphant lays. They have also 
cheered the Church. It may be that they were converted 
in a community where the gospel had long been ineffective ; 
the people of God had become disheartened at the pros- 
pect; but their faith was strengthened and their zeal re- 
kindled by these additions to their ranks. More than this, 
others have been saved through their instrumentality. Sin- 
ners were so impressed with the change that was wrought 
in them, the high moral excellences which they had evi- 
dently attained, that they renounced their sins and sought 
with tears the same renewing grace. O the deep ecstasy, 
the soothing comfort, the lofty inspirations, the blessed pur- 
poses which, all silently and unconsciously, they have com- 
municated ! As the dew upon the mountains and in the 
valleys, refreshing the stately cedars and the lowly grass, 
so has been their influence in heaven and in earth, among 
angelic hosts and among the sons of men. 

Ephraim and Judah, however, represent those who, not- 
withstanding their conversion, the hopes they have excited, 



Evanescent Goodness. 



305 



and the good they have accomplished, have failed to main- 
tain their character and to pursue their usefulness. Their 
"goodness" has been "as a morning cloud, and as the early 
dew" which goeth away. You see their picture in the cloud 
which has come up in the time of drought and awoke the 
expectation of abundant rain, but after dispensing a few 
scattering drops on the parched fields, begins to break, and 
in the course of an hour has vanished from the sky. You 
see their picture in the dew which has imparted freshness 
to the face of nature, but quickly evaporates, leaving vege- 
tation to -look to other sources for supplies of moisture to 
withstand the heat of noon-tide and the fierce glance of the 
descending sun. 

Are there any present who recognize themselves in Ephra- 
im and J udah ? Perchance there are. You were once con- 
verted. Of the reality of your conversion you had then 
no doubt. You have often doubted it since; but at that 
time you would as soon have thought of doubting your ex- 
istence. What peace was yours! what hallowed joy! 
what deep, overflowing love! Do you not remember it? 
So marked and positive was the change that others were 
constrained to notice it. High hopes were entertained of 
your future; it was thought that you would yet stand 
among the foremost champions of the truth. The worn 
leaders of the Church rejoiced to think that when their 
hands grew stiff in death they could pass to you the ban- 
ners which they had borne aloft so long and bravely ; and 
already you were doing good. Your exemplary life, your 
tender, loving zeal, was awaking penitence and stimulating 
faith in many of your fellows. Alas, what a change has 
taken place ! " How is the gold become dim ! " From the 
shining pinnacle of virtue you have sunk again into the 
abyss of wickedness. You have discontinued the perform- 
ance of your duties ; you have ceased to be useful ; and you 



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have lost your happiness. The calamity may have been 
sudden — the shivering of the green tree by the lightning- 
stroke of some strong temptation ; or it may have been slow 
— the spoiling of leaf after leaf of the vigorous plant by 
the creeping mildew of some base desire. You are now a 
backslider; your name may still be on the church-register, 
but it is there by sufferance and not by right. O how sad 
is your condition! The wicked scorn you, and class you 
with the hypocrites; the righteous pity you, and pray for 
your salvation ; and high above all, God regards you. Yes, 
though you have forsaken him, he has not forgotten you. 
The " morning cloud," with the hopes it excited, and the 
"early dew," with the good it accomplished, are still re- 
membered. You occasion him many a soliloquy amid the 
glad har pings of angels and the rich anthems of the re- 
deemed. It is one of these soliloquies which we have in our 
text. Would that it might penetrate your ear and soften 
the obduracy of your heart ! 

"O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what 
shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning 
cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away." 

Ponder this language; may it be used by the Divine 
Spirit to bring you to repentance ! 

It betrays disappointment. God expected something 
better from you. Your conversion and consistent conduct 
for some time subsequent to that event seemed to augur a 
future of progressive holiness and of increasing usefulness. 
It is true that God is omniscient, and as such foresaw from 
the first your declension, but it appears from Scripture that 
this omniscience does not prevent him from being affected 
by existing circumstances. When God created man he 
foresaw his fall, the universal depravity which would fol- 
low, and the redemption which would be effected by Christ ; 
nevertheless, so offended was he by the wickedness of the 



Evanescent Goodness. 



307 



antediluvians, some two thousand years after, that "it re- 
pented him that he had made man on the earth, and it 
grieved him at the heart." His present feelings may be 
modified, but they are not absolutely controlled by his 
knowledge of the future. He may take pleasure in a saint 
while loving and obeying him, even though he may foresee 
that a time is coming when that saint will apostatize and 
perish ; and he can be displeased and pained at the iniquity 
of one who has been his servant, even though he may know 
that there will yet be contrition and amendment. Think 
then of God, O backslider, of God as disappointed in you ! 
Surely you must be lost to all sense of shame if this will 
not stir you. What would we think of the son who is un- 
disturbed to know that his parent is disappointed in him ? 
What would we think of the soldier who exhibits no con- 
cern on learning that his commander is disappointed in 
him? What would we think of the statesman who is ut- 
terly callous at the discovery that a whole nation is disap- 
pointed in him? And to what degradation must you have 
sunk when you can sit unmoved while knowing that the 
greatest, the wisest, the best, the most considerate Being in 
the universe is disappointed in you ? O the sigh which you 
evoke from the bosom of the Infinite ! Can you not catch 
it in the closing words of this soliloquy: "O Ephraim, 
what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do un- 
to thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as 
the early dew it goeth away" 

The language indicates perplexity. " What shall I do 
unto thee ? " God represents himself as unable to devise any 
further expedient to save you. He has exhausted all the 
resources of his infinite wisdom to consummate a plan by 
which you may be saved. That plan is the atonement of 
his Son. You have only to renounce your sins and to trust 
implicitly in that atonement in order to be saved. It is the 



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only plan available in your case. God can be "just and 
the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." The atone- 
ment is the one channel through which his mercy can 
stream down to the sons of men. Satisfying the demands 
of his administrative justice, it enables him to extend for- 
giveness without detriment to his character or injury to his 
moral government. The atonement was immeasurably cost- 
ly. It necessitated an expenditure of love and suffering 
such as no finite mind is capable of conceiving. This, then, 
is the plan by which you can alone be saved. You have 
already tried it and proved its efficacy ; how unwise, how 
ungrateful in you to abandon it! You are like the man 
who, imprisoned in a burning building, has thrust aside the 
only ladder that can save him, and which, at the risk of 
life, and with shouts of exultant joy, friends have placed 
within his reach. You are like the man who, drowning in 
the roaring deep, has flung away the one stout rope which 
loving hands have thrown him, and now wrestles vainly 
with the fierce, tumultuous waves. Thank God that you 
have not yet perished ! But if ever you are saved it will 
be by faith in that atonement which you have despised. 
There is no other way by which you can escape the conse- 
quences of your sins and be restored to Divine favor. The 
plan is unique, perfect, inconceivably precious, and univers- 
ally effective. God can contrive no other. Like the tide 
which rolls in from ocean's heart with solemn, plaintive 
voice, uttering the same sad monotone from generation to 
generation, so through all time there comes from the un- 
fathomable depths of the Divine counsels the moan which 
tells of the baffled effort to discover other expedient to save 
a sinner: "O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Ju- 
dah, what shall I do unto thee?" 

The language is expressive of solicitude. " What shall I 
do unto thee?" God is anxious for your salvation. He 



Evanescent Goodness. 



309 



has no pleasure in the punishment of the wicked. He 
would rejoice, for your sake, to see you turn from the error 
of your ways. He knows the value of this heaven which 
you will forfeit and the terrors of this hell which you will 
endure if you persist in your disobedience and impenitence. 
He would not have you go down to the regions of everlast- 
ing misery; he would not have you augment the number of 
the damned ; he would have you dwell with himself in light ; 
he would have you " drink of the river of his pleasures;" 
he would deliver you from all guilt, from sin and sorrow, 
from pain and death. But if he is to save you there must 
be continual consent and cooperation of your own will. He 
has endowed you with the power of moral choice. This 
proud prerogative he will not invade. He will persuade, 
but he will not compel you to obedience ; he will help, but 
he will not force you to repent. You have resisted his ap- 
peals, you have refused his aid. O with what intense so- 
licitude does he regard you ! As he recalls the past, when 
you were his servant and rejoicing in the hope of heaven, 
and as he beholds you now in your indifference to his good- 
ness, and in your opposition to his laws, nearing each day — 
in spite of all his remonstrances and entreaties — the dread 
line which once crossed will forever separate you from his 
smile, he exclaims, with a pathos which no human tongue 
can employ: "O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O 
Judah, what shall I do unto thee?" 

A few remarks in conclusion. How should we esteem 
and venerate this Being who, notwithstanding his sublime 
and unapproachable majesty, manifests such interest in the 
welfare of our race ! Says the psalmist : " The Lord is high 
above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who 
is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who 
humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven 
and in the earth?" How should we rejoice that mercy is 



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one of his atributes ! Says the psalmist again : " O praise 
the Lord, all ye nations; praise him, all ye people. For his 
merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the 
Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord." 

How should we endeavor not to grieve him with our sins! 
It should be to us a source of remorse and anguish to have 
him complain of us, " Your goodness is as a morning cloud, 
and as the early dew it goeth away." How promptly and 
how penitently should we seek his forgiveness when we have 
sinned against him ! 

My backslidden brother, my erring sister, do not, I be- 
seech you, continue in sin from a sense of shame or from a 
feeling of despair. It is true you have displeased God ; but 
you only increase his disappointment, you only add as it 
were to his perplexity, you only intensify his solicitude, by 
refusing to repent. Says the prophet: "O Israel, return 
unto the Lord thy God ; for thou hast fallen by thine ini- 
quity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say 
unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us gracious- 
ly." And for your encouragement he represents God as 
saying: "I will heal their backsliding; I will love them 
freely ; I will be as the dew unto Israel ; he shall grow as 
the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon." 



The End. 



M 



- 



